History has shaped Nose Creek—it’s up to us to protect its future.
Every time I walk through the Nose Creek Valley, I’m reminded that we were not the first to be here. In the millennia before, people lived by the Nose Creek Valley in harmony with the natural landscape and all life benefited from the nourishment that the valley provided.
Last year, Nose Creek Preservation Society collaborated with students at Mount Royal University to do marketing and research on the Nose Creek Valley. One of the projects focused on developing a timeline of the Valley:
A Glacial Past (2 Million Years Ago): Much of Alberta was covered with massive glaciers until about 20,000 years ago. As the ice melted, glacial erratics were left behind. Large boulders that were moved thousands of kilometres are still around today. We have a few in the Nose Creek valley, one called Split Rock located in West Nose Creek Park, and the Beddington Erratic that sits on privately owned land between the CP Railway and Deerfoot Trail.
The First Peoples (14,000 Years Ago): After the glaciers receded, humans migrated to Canada (Turtle Island) from Siberia around 14,000 years ago. They were nomadic tribes, following and hunting herds of buffalo. Those that settled in the Nose Creek Valley would be the Blackfoot Confederacy, composed of the Kainai, Siksikia, and Pikani nations, the Tsuut’ina, and the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations (including Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations).
European Settlers (1886 to 1900): Once the Canadian Pacific Railway reached what is now known as Alberta, settlers immigrated in great frequency. Within a couple decades, villages developed into what is now Calgary and Airdrie, and as cattle and farming industries advanced, Calgary’s growth began to steadily increase in the coming years.
Population Spike (1906 to 1955): In the first half of the last century, our city had a population spike, jumping from 12,000 in 1906 to 200,000 people in 1955. This rapid urbanization saw encroachment on Nose Creek and the watershed became a dumping ground for waste from agricultural and industrial activities.
Continued Urbanization (The Present): Calgary’s urban sprawl has surrounded the Nose Creek Valley, which has affected the structure of the creek, diminished native wildlife, reduced biodiversity, and polluted water. Left unchecked, Nose Creek is losing biodiversity. What was once a vital ecosystem is turning into a stagnant, eroded waterway.
It’s Not Too Late (Now): Dedicated community members, organizations, and volunteers have already made strides to reverse some of the damage through habitat restoration, pollution control, and public awareness.
You can tell a lot about a city by the health of its rivers and creeks. It’s not cities that bestow life upon rivers; it is rivers that enliven a city. Our mission is to highlight the needs of the Nose Creek Valley so that it can, in turn, enliven our communities and nourish our bodies, hearts, and souls.
If you have a chance, check out Robert McFarlane’s book, “Is A River Alive”, and be reminded of the interconnectedness of the human and natural world.
“Everyone lives in a watershed…. Our fate flows with that of rivers.”
Robert McFarlane
As a native-born Calgarian, I love this city and the life I have created on this land. When I look back and learn more about Nose Creek’s history and the unsustainable decisions of the past, I know we can do better. As the current council lead of the Nose Creek Preservation Society, I want leadership at all levels to prioritize saving native land and the biodiversity it offers and embrace roles as stewards of this land we call home.
The land today would be unrecognizable to the first peoples who managed the land for over 14,000 years. It’s sad to realize that it has taken humans less than a hundred years to transform the land so completely. Right now, the more we continue to develop unsustainably, the less biodiversity flourishes. We have driven nature away, not realizing that it’s in connection to nature that we experience a better life.
We know it’s not too late, there’s always something we can do. Dedicated community members, organizations, and volunteers have made strides to reverse some of the damage through habitat restoration, pollution control, and public awareness.
Yet we need more. Every voice matters.
Humans are amazing creative beings… I think it’s time that together we collaborate with nature in our own backyards to build healthier neighbourhoods. We want to advocate to balance the pressure for development with the value of preserving native untouched land. The healthier our watershed, the healthier our communities.
Interested in learning more? Save the date for our annual general meeting on Sunday, September 27. We will be hosting our fourth annual AGM at the Nose Creek Valley Museum. Become/renew your memberships for the 2026-27 year and be invited to join in on a custom tour.
Please sign up for our newsletter for notification and details at savenosecreek.com/contact.
by Crystal Perzylo-Reynolds
Council Lead of Nose Creek Preservation Society
