The Meewasin Valley Authority
By anyone's measure, the Meewasin Valley Project - first envisioned by master planner Raymond Moriyama in 1978 - has been an outstanding success.
Inaugurated in 1979, Meewasin has grown to become one of the most popular and appreciated organizations in the Saskatoon region. Today, over 1 million visits are made annually to the award winning Meewasin Trails, which now extend over 50 kilometres throughout the river valley.
Projects initiated by Meewasin, such as the Beaver Creek Conservation Area, Wanuskewin Heritage Park, Cranberry Flats, Gabriel Dumont Park, Meewasin Valley Centre, and Meewasin Riverworks Weir Redevelopment are treasured assets in a community shaped by the river at its centre.
Created by the Province of Saskatchewan, the City of Saskatoon, and the University of Saskatchewan, shaped by dedicated directors and staff, and supported by an army of volunteers, taxpayers, and donors, Meewasin has fulfilled its mission "to create a healthy and vibrant river valley with a balance between human use and conservation."
Meewasin's goals are:
- To protect the natural and heritage resources of the Meewasin Valley;
- To develop and encourage projects that enhance these resources and add to the quality of life in Saskatoon; and
- To increase awareness and understanding of the resources in the valley.
In the conservation area, Meewasin protects a 65-km2-conservation zone that runs through Saskatoon. More than 1500 hectares of the Meewasin Valley and its protected lands consist of relatively natural habitat, a larger percentage than in areas surrounding the valley.
Major conservation projects include Chief Whitecap Park, Cranberry Flats Conservation Area, Paradise Beach, Beaver Creek Conservation Area, Poplar Bluffs Canoe Launch, Fred Heal Canoe Launch, Saskatoon Natural Grasslands, the former Sanatorium site, the Northeast Swale, Guenther Prairie, Maple Grove and the cottonwood forest at Yorath Island, parts of Peturrson's Ravine, and the mixed grass prairie at Wanuskewin Heritage Park. Interpretive centres are located at Beaver Creek and at the MVA offices in downtown Saskatoon. In the area of conservation education, Meewasin has provided conservation education for thousands of elementary school students over its 26-year history.
Heritage resource conservation projects include the Marr Residence, in use since 1884, and the world famous Wanuskewin Heritage Park started by Meewasin and now operated by a separate board of directors.
Meewasin has been effective in expanding and/or improving green space, including the creation of major parks such as Meewasin Park and Gabriel Dumont Park. The Plant-A-Tree and Memorial Forest programs have allowed for public participation in tree and shrub plantings.
Meewasin also started Partners For the Saskatchewan River Basin, an organization that helps to conserve water and watershed resources in the entire Saskatchewan River Basin.
Meewasin has shown that a strong conservation mandate is compatible with economic development goals. It has attracted $56 million of outside funding to Saskatoon since 1979 and created a network of attractions that make the city a desirable tourist destination.
For more information visit http://www.meewasin.com.
Meewasin hosts conservation education programs for Grade 5 students at the Beaver Creek Conservation Area south of Saskatoon.