EDMONTON - Louise McKinney Park was busy Monday with joggers, walkers and cyclists enjoying the sunshine, but the only living things on the nearby North Saskatchewan River were birds.

Now the city is creating guidelines for docks, boat launches, trails and other facilities to help encourage more people to use Edmonton’s greatest natural asset.

“If we’re going to develop amenities, maybe it would be good to put in washrooms or a picnic site,” says Marilyn Hussey, project manager for the river access strategy.

“We want to get an idea of how many of those kinds of facilities people would use or want.”

So far, there have been approximately 600 responses to an online questionnaire asking for opinions on the 10-year strategy, which closes May 31.

There are about eight places in Edmonton for putting water craft into the North Saskatchewan, including the Gold Bar and Laurier Park boat ramps and a gravel canoe launch at Emily Murphy Park.

Any expansion to these facilities, which could be done by the city, private companies or sports groups, must take into account environmental impact and possible damage to fish habitat, Hussey said.

Glenn Isaac, executive director of the North Saskatchewan Riverkeeper Program, has been involved in discussions about the strategy with other interested organizations since late last year.

His non-profit group is holding a public meeting Wednesday at the University of Alberta’s Edmonton Clinic Health Academy to look at the impact of river water quality on recreation and fish.

Isaac would like the city survey to include comments from residents about what they’ve seen that works in other river centres, such as Winnipeg, Pittsburgh and Portland, Ore.

He has noticed an increase in boating and fishing on the river over the last four years, and wants more people to use it in a safe, environmentally responsible way.

This could mean expanding sites that are already disturbed to prevent problems elsewhere, or focusing on low-impact activities to reduce conflict at popular fishing spots such as Whitemud Creek, Isaac said.

“When people are connecting to the water body, they’re going to be interested in protecting the water body,” he said.

“We have this amazing recreational and environmental asset … I really believe it’s the most important asset Edmonton has.”

Penny Reynolds, who after moving away has lived in Edmonton for the past decade, has never been on the North Saskatchewan, but might be inspired if boats were available.

“We love running beside the water … It’s not the prettiest colour, but we know that’s due to evolution, and it doesn’t negate from the beauty,” Reynolds said during a break in her jog through Louise McKinney Park with Shirl-Ann VanIerland.

“I think some rental canoes would be really good. You would have to have docks and (maybe) picnic facilities.”

Rob Martin, who stopped for ice cream at the park café, has travelled on the water by canoe and power boat.

Edmonton needs at least two more structures similar to the boat launch near his Gold Bar home to make the sport more convenient, he said.

He’d also like a weir erected to form deeper water so more motor boats could use it, an idea floated by former mayor Stephen Mandel in 2006.

“The bottom line is I think it’s terribly underutilized, and I don’t have any problem with the city being involved. How much money they put in is another question,” Martin said.

“To me, it’s a public asset and it warrants expenditure of public money.”

gkent@edmontonjournal.com