Welcome to the City of Edmonton Downtown Newsletter. This is the spot where communities come together to celebrate, learn, share and create unforgettable memories – all against the background of our ever-evolving Downtown. Thank you for your interest and passion for building a vibrant Downtown.
Update: We're pleased to announce that we’ve updated our format slightly and will now deliver our newsletter four times a year. This will ensure you’re getting quality coverage you’ve come to expect in a jam-packed quarterly issue that won’t overwhelm your inbox.
Sir Winston Churchill Square Updates
There is a lot of activity happening in the Square these days. Outlined below are a few highlights regarding the current construction and activities taking place.
Construction highlights
Construction on the City Hall fountain is scheduled to begin this Summer (2018).
The City Hall fountain is closed to the public this season, to complete construction. It will re-open in Summer 2019.
Rehabilitation of the City Hall fountain and City Hall Plaza surface is needed to ensure safe, accessible and enjoyable use for Edmontonians now and for years to come.
For up-to-date information on the Valley Line LRT project progress and impacts, please visit transedlrt.ca.
Say Hello to Happy Wall!
Sir Winston Churchill Square just got a little happier! Happy Wall, an interactive public pixel art installation was installed in the Square to help keep it lively and active during Valley Line LRT construction and other rehabilitation projects underway in the area.
Created by Copenhagen artist Thomas Dambo, Happy Wall inspires self-expression from those who come in contact with it. The interactive public art installation is 17 metres long and covered with 1,040 coloured panels of reclaimed wood that can be flipped to create images or phrases. Edmonton is the first city in Canada to host a Happy Wall. Dambo’s Happy Wall, was crafted in 2014 to revitalize construction sites and has been installed in Denmark, Chile, Brazil and the United States.
Activities
The Edmonton Arts Council, in partnership with the City of Edmonton, programs activities in Sir Winston Churchill Square for casual and day-to-day public use. Monday to Friday programming includes large-format chess and checkers games and table tennis. There is also live music on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from noon to 1 p.m. in front of Three Bananas Cafė or L’Espresso Cafė.
Come for lunch!
Food trucks are back on the Square for the season! Two or three food trucks will be in place on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Three Bananas Cafė and L’Espresso Cafė are also open during construction.
Visit the Civic Precinct and Churchill Square to take part in all the warm weather fun!
Get walking downtown!
Summer is a wonderful time to take a break from your desk and stroll through our city’s exciting core. Take a self-guided tour of the amazing art our downtown has to offer on our three ArtTourYEG walks. Grab a map and get walking!
This week is Canadian Environment Week and it also provides another great opportunity to get walking downtown with the Downtown Sustainability Stroll. Many businesses, organizations and groups in the downtown area are passionate about working towards a sustainable future. Take a stroll and check them out!
Fostering a Child Friendly Edmonton
A Child Friendly Business Recognition Program is being launched citywide on June 13 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in City Room of City Hall. This program aims to increase and promote child friendly business practices through the recognition of businesses throughout Edmonton that are especially welcoming to children and families. Through collaboration with families, businesses, and community organizations, it was determined that the most important factors in child friendliness are a welcoming attitude, child friendly amenities, change tables available to all adults, as well as family focused activities.
Anyone can nominate their favorite child friendly businesses by filling out the nomination form at edmonton.ca/childfriendlybusiness. Nominate a business now!
You can also connect with @ChildFriendlyEdmonton on Facebook or Instagram or by emailing childfriendly@edmonton.ca.
Spotlight: Alex Decoteau Park - Penelope’s Playground!
We chatted with Robert, a downtown resident, about his experience with the new Alex Decoteau Park, and more importantly, how Penelope, his one and a half year old French Bulldog is loving the new dog friendly space!
Q: Thanks for meeting with us! Tell me a little bit about yourself and Penelope.
A: I’ve been living downtown for about three and a half years now. I got Penelope when she was a few weeks old- she is one and a half now and we are loving exploring downtown together.
Q: Are you and Penelope both enjoying the new park?
A: Yes! We both love it- well actually- she does more than I do. She gets to hang out with her friends. It’s funny- all the downtown dogs seem to know each other now because of the park. They see each other from across the street and get excited. One thing I’ve noticed about Penelope is that the park has really helped her learn how to socialize. It’s like dropping your kid off at the playground. All the owners just sit and chat on the side and the dogs play in the open space.
Q: How often would you say you visit Alex Decoteau park?
A: We are usually there twice a day, once in the morning and again after work or in the evening. It gets pretty busy around dinner time. It really is a nice thing to have in your backyard - which it basically is for me. Penelope and I can find some green space without having to leave downtown.
Q: What’s your favourite feature of the park? What’s Penelope’s?
A: For me it’s the location and convenience. Having green space downtown that isn’t just grass means less muddy paws in springtime and easy access to exercise for her. Penelope loves to scurry behind the benches and dart around like it’s an obstacle course. She has become a really social dog, partially thanks to the park.
Q: Would you like to see more dog-friendly spaces downtown? Do you think they would be well-used?
A: Definitely. For downtown dogs, the space that is there is great. The more people that move downtown with the development that’s happening, the City might want to consider adding more spaces like this one. It is so convenient for downtown residents that can’t find much green space otherwise, and the dog park space is actually much bigger than it looks once you’re inside. But, I definitely wouldn’t say no to having more dog friendly spaces close by- more green is always good! Add a water trough though- so park users can access water and fill it for the pups.
Q: Thanks again for chatting with us. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
A: Thank you! Yeah- it’s great because the park has kind of united people and given some vibrance to the community, like the downtown market does in the summer. The dog community downtown is growing and it’s nice because everyone knows each other, especially the dogs!
Thanks again to Robert for giving us his thoughts. Keep an eye out for Penelope - she’s turning into a bit of a Downtown Edmonton celebrity!
Alex Decoteau Park opened in September 2017. It features a community garden, an off-leash dog park, at grade turf, in-ground water fountains with programmable water displays, and artwork entitled Esprit by artist Pierre Poussin. The park was named after Canada’s first aboriginal police officer and noted athlete Alex Decoteau, who was a member of the Edmonton Police Force starting in 1911.
Jasper Avenue New Vision calls for streetscape improvements and reconstruction to feature a high-quality pedestrian experience along Jasper Avenue from 92 to 109 Street. The City of Edmonton is inviting residents and commuters to view the preliminary design for the future Jasper Avenue from 97 to 100 Street and provide input to shape the concept plans for 92 to 96 Street and 102 to 109 Street.
Phase One construction from 100 Street to 102 Street was completed in 2013. Construction for Phase Two between 97 Street and 100 Street is scheduled to begin in 2019 to coincide with other construction work in the area. The timeline for construction of the remaining sections has not yet been determined.
For those unable to attend the event, a comment form will be available online from June 15 - 29, 2018. Information collected will be reviewed by the project team and, where possible, carried forward into the detailed design.
Edmonton's LRT system celebrates it's 40th birthday this year, and on June 16, the D. L. MacDonald Garage is opening the doors to the public so you can see behind the scenes. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no public vehicle access, so a free shuttle service will you to the garage from the Belvedere Transit Centre. The last shuttle departs Belvedere at 3 p.m.
The City is looking for volunteers in the downtown area to count the number of cars parked in the parking lot or parkade of their home or business. The data collected will be used to help inform updates to the parking rules for private property set out in Edmonton’s Zoning Bylaw. Interested volunteers must complete this form and a City staff member will follow up to provide the additional information needed to participate.
