Child-Friendly Edmonton

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Edmonton aims to start construction of two nature-theme playgrounds this year, using safety-certified logs and rocks in place of painted metal swing sets.

It’s exciting news for those who want more creative options for Edmonton’s children, although not quite the rustic, unstructured experience some play experts are looking for.

The playgrounds are part of district park redevelopment efforts at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Park near the Valley Zoo and Dermott District Park near Bonnie Doon Mall.

Instead of painted metal meant to suggest a ship or a train, the playgrounds will use special logs for the swing set posts, a secured pile of logs and boulders for the climbing gym and even a dead tree – bolted down for safety – to give children a different play experience.

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loc...ton-are-a-step-in-right-direction-critics-say

 

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Two new parks built and under construction in the downtown core will provide space for gardeners, outdoor coffee drinkers, even dog walkers.

But despite city council’s long-term push to attract more families downtown, the parks will not have play space for children. Even the public art selected for the new Alex Decoteau Park on 105 Street is adult oriented. It’s too tall to climb.

“It will be eye-catching, iconic … Playable wasn’t one of the criteria,” said Katherine Kerr of the Edmonton Arts Council, who hopes to sign a contract with the artist this week.

In Edmonton, it can seem like planners only think of children when they’re planning playgrounds. Downtown, space for kids just didn’t come up during the public open houses, say planners. But there’s a growing sense that more should be done — not just in parks but at farmers’ markets, in public squares and perhaps even transit centres.

Edmonton is re-starting its child-friendly initiative, regrouping after a multi-year hiatus with a new committee and sense of dedication. They promise a concrete work plan by the end of January and a specific focus on downtown.

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/edmonton-makes-second-attempt-at-child-friendly-planning

 

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Editorial: Kids should be welcome downtown
Downtown Edmonton’s newest park will offer a green sanctuary away from their cubicles for workers to sip lattes, a community garden for condo-dwellers to dig their green thumbs into the dirt and a fenced run for dogs to gambol off-leash.

But for heaven’s sake, please leave your kids at home. That seems to be the implicit message in the design of Alex Decoteau Park, which has something for everyone, with the exception of play space for children.

There will be no playground, not a single swing set. Perhaps the more sophisticated tykes will appreciate the eye-catching and iconic public art – just don’t let them get too close. The installation will be too tall to climb, and “playable” wasn’t one of the criteria when the art, or park, were planned.

http://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-kids-should-be-welcome-downtown

 

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There’s a major fight brewing on the issue of adults-only buildings.

Pushed by the courts, Alberta has agreed to review its human rights legislation to prevent age discrimination in housing before next January.

A group of downtown parents wants that to include children, making any building for people aged 18 and older illegal. They’re launching a public campaign Saturday, hoping to use a crowdsourced map to illustrate the extent of the problem.

But condo owners are also mobilizing. Many with adults-only restrictions don’t want those lifted. They see this as a threat even to buildings restricted to those 55 and older.

“They want a more peaceful lifestyle. A lot of these are retirees,” said Anand Sharma, president of the Canadian Condominium Institute Northern Alberta chapter. The chapters has been asking members to write their MLAs and Service Alberta, which will make recommendations to Alberta Justice.

“It’s going to be a battle,” said Sharma. “I don’t think it’s right or fair to change the rules on them.”

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/downtown-parents-seek-to-ban-adults-only-buildings

 

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Paula Simons: Time to rethink the rights of landlords to ban children
One spring day in 1964, the woman who would soon be my mother went to visit the manager of her apartment building.

My parents lived in a highrise right along the Victoria Promenade, a handy location, since they both worked downtown. They loved living near shops and restaurants with a view of the valley. So my mother went to ask if they could switch to a two-bedroom apartment instead. Because she was pregnant. With me.

Instead of offering congratulations, the manager told my mother they’d have to leave. The building was for adults only. No children allowed.

And thus, my parents surrendered the joys of urban living and fled to the suburbs where I could be raised behind a literal white picket fence, and where their former neighbours could be spared the indignity of hearing the infant Paula cry, chortle or run in the halls.

Fifty-three years later and Alberta law still allows adults-only buildings — and Edmonton families still struggle to find rental accommodation that suits their budgets and lifestyles.

http://edmontonjournal.com/business...think-the-rights-of-landlords-to-ban-children

 

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What about the children: Parent group calls for end to adults-only buildings in Alberta
A parent group is calling for an end to adults-only buildings in Alberta.

The new Child-Friendly Housing Coalition of Alberta will launch a campaign Saturday to make any building for people 18 and up illegal, except for supportive housing facilities.

“We believe that adult-only buildings are not only a violation of human rights, but they are very harmful and hurtful to healthy community growth,” said the coalition’s outreach co-ordinator Jodie McKague.

Alberta is the only province in Canada that allows 18-plus restrictions on condos and apartments, but the province is currently reviewing age discrimination in its human rights legislation.

McKague was a homeowner until six years ago when she went through a divorce. She planned to move into an apartment in the city core with her daughter, who is now nine years old, and said she was shut out by about 20 different buildings before she found one that would accept kids.

“I think a lot of us, we just shut up and go away and we think somehow it’s our problem. But when you start hearing other people talking about the issue, you realize it’s actually a really huge problem,” she said.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmont...-calls-for-end-to-adults-only-buildings-.html

Adults-only buildings threatened by court ruling, advocates fear
The Alberta government is considering banning adults-only designations for condominiums and rental buildings — a move that some fear will destroy the "peace and quiet" that led them to buy there.

Following a court decision earlier in 2017 that stipulated age must be considered a prohibited ground of discrimination under the Alberta Human Rights Act, the provincial government is reviewing its relevant legislation.

The Court of Queen's Bench gave the province until next January to work out any exemptions and ensure its laws are in compliance with the ruling.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...imination-court-ruling-human-rights-1.4058107

 

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Edmonton adult-only condo resident backs campaign to ban age-restricted buildings
A resident of an adult-only condo in Mill Woods is concerned about his home’s re-sale value if he can’t sell to families or anyone looking to start a family.

Alberta is the only province in Canada that has 18-plus restrictions on condos and apartments, but the province is currently reviewing age discrimination in its human rights legislation.

Tim Young, who lives in Waterfront Pointe Condominium, is backing the Child-Friendly Housing Coalition of Alberta campaign to ban adults-only buildings, with an exception for supportive housing.

“It’s the market that’s not open to the resale if we choose to sell (that’s a concern),” Young said.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmont...adult-only-condo-resident-backs-campaign.html

 

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Families with children will have more housing options in the new year if proposed changes to Alberta’s human rights legislation are passed.

The NDP introduced a bill Wednesday to prevent age discrimination, putting an end to adults-only apartment buildings as of Jan. 1. But an exception gives condo owners a 15-year grace period to implement the new rules.

“While it certainly makes sense to do this, it does raise a number of complex issues,” Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley told a news conference after introducing the Alberta Human Rights Amendment Act, 2017. “We recognize that many Albertans have made significant investments on the basis of condo bylaws that were in place at the time of purchase.”

The legislation includes exemptions, including seniors-only housing. This means buildings can cater exclusively to those over 55. (Seniors communities can choose any age older than 55 as the minimum cut-off, however.)

Hugh Willis, spokesman for the Canadian Condominium Institute in northern Alberta, said the 15-year transition is a “common-sense compromise” for owners who will have to decide whether to switch to a seniors-only building or open up to families with children.

The phase-in period will allow people in their 40s to move into that senior age bracket, he said. “From our perspective, we would like as lengthy a time as possible.”

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/pol...troduce-legislation-to-amend-human-rights-act

 

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City to give height-bonus for family-sized condo units
Edmonton officials are now proposing two extra floors to any developer willing to build at least eight three-bedroom units into a new tower.

The rule will only apply to new construction under the standard highrise zoning, but it’s a first for a city that wants to give more options for families hoping to stay in the core.

The rules go to Tuesday’s meeting of city council’s urban planning committee for debate.

“If you’re building something that supports local schools, businesses and families, we’d like to make an incentive for that,” said Colton Kirsop, the city’s acting director of development and zoning.

The rule would apply to buildings zoned for up to 18 storeys — 14 storeys if the developer is only able to consolidate three standard 50-foot (15-metre) lots. A developer would get permission for two extra storeys if they commit to building eight three-bedroom units or seven per cent of the project, whichever is less.

It applies on many sites near transit and throughout Oliver, Garneau and other higher-density neighbourhoods. Building under a standard zone means the developer doesn’t have to go to council for special approval.

Kirsop said the rules are being re-written because they only allowed suburban-style apartment buildings surrounded by large, grassy yards.

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/city-to-give-height-bonus-for-family-sized-condo-units