Citizens of Edmonton are fighting to protect the River Valley from federal ownership and Parks Canada’s diversity plan. A group of concerned citizens took notice of what they perceived to be government overreach regarding the National Urban Park Initiative, a federal program aimed to amplify urban parks in Canada.

In 2022, Edmonton’s Mayor Amarjeet Sohi offered up the entire Edmonton River Valley for this program, saying it would help break systemic barriers and allow additional federal support.

The National Urban Park Initiative includes policies that many Edmontonians found questionable, including their plan to “provide long-lasting benefits to the urban area” by using “sustainability, conservation, equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation.