'I ❤️ SG' Conversation Series Topic #8- Renewing our Natural Areas
- Erin Stevenson
- Aug 19
- 3 min read
Spruce Grove Councillor Erin Stevenson is proud to launch her campaign for a third term under the banner “I ❤️ SG”—a positive, community-focused message reflecting her deep commitment to the people, places, and possibilities that make Spruce Grove special.
Protecting Green Spaces and Growing a Sustainable Spruce Grove
From urban orchards to natural area management, Spruce Grove is investing in a future that blends growth with respect for the environment. As part of her “I 💙 SG” campaign for a third term, Councillor Erin Stevenson is highlighting the City’s work to strengthen community standards, enhance urban agriculture, and preserve its most sensitive ecological areas.
Watch the video:
LOVE: Investing in Community and Natural Areas
A milestone achievement this term was the passing of the new Community Standards Bylaw, which helps ensure a safe, healthy, and inviting community for all residents and visitors.
At the same time, the City has taken tangible steps to expand urban agriculture. Community orchard plantings now exist at six locations across Spruce Grove, with trees and bushes producing Nanking cherries, Haskap berries, Saskatoons, blueberries, Romeo cherries, and black currants. Community gardens are also being incorporated into the Re-imagined Central Park, in future phases.
The City is advancing its first Urban Agriculture Master Plan, expected to be released later in 2025, which will guide how local food production and community growing spaces evolve in the coming years.
Natural area protection has also been prioritized. A Natural Area Management Plan has been developed for the East Pioneer Environmentally Significant Area, ensuring sensitive land is cared for responsibly. Through funding from the Green Jobs Grant, updated data has been collected on treed and naturalized stormwater areas. This work supported the completion of a Natural Asset Inventory Assessment, a key tool for long-term planning.
To preserve one of Spruce Grove’s most treasured spaces, Council also allocated $150,000 toward Heritage Grove Park maintenance, ensuring the trail system and surrounding forest remain safe, healthy, and accessible for residents. “These investments show that our city values both the built and natural environments,” Stevenson says. “We’re creating spaces that people can enjoy today, while protecting them for future generations.”
IMPROVE: Making Green Resources More Accessible
While planting fruit-bearing trees and shrubs is a win, Stevenson believes residents need better tools to access them.
“We don’t want any of this food to go to waste,” she explains. “Providing online maps or signage showing where the plantings are located—whether in neighbourhood parks or in Heritage Grove—would help residents take full advantage.”
NEXT: Protecting the Fen
Looking ahead, Stevenson is advocating for the long-term protection of the Fen, a forested environmental reserve east of Pioneer Road.
“The Fen is home to unique species of plants and deserves careful stewardship,” she says. “But it should also be accessible to residents who want to connect with nature.”
Her vision includes planning for a trail system that could one day connect the Fen to the Wagner Natural Area, a regionally significant wetland and bog.
“That connection may be years away, but if we don’t plan for it now, we’ll lose the opportunity,” she adds.
Share your thoughts with Erin and connect with her on social media and don't forget to use the hashtag #IHeartSG. Show Erin support in her re-election campaign by requesting a lawn sign (request form is at the bottom of every webpage).
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