Misc. Parks and Greenspace Projects

[TAS]

Sound like the current opinion consensus on the river valley is conservationists and hikers hate on bikers, runners kind of take a wait and see approach and everyone hates on golfers. General public just want planters, benches, BBQs and being able to legally drink.

I think the Victoria space would be a great opportunity for a variety of summer activities: outdoor volleyball courts, some b-ball courts etc. Just like beach areas in Kitsilano where a variety of activities are offered along the beach. And still lots of land for lounging. The Kinsmen Park area already offers tennis, baseball/softball fields so that is covered, unless more is needed.
Again, in winter we have skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing. In summer, the only activity permitted is golf. And as noted there are golf opportunities nearby including public option.

 

[thommyjo]

I think the Victoria space would be a great opportunity for a variety of summer activities: outdoor volleyball courts, some b-ball courts etc. Just like beach areas in Kitsilano where a variety of activities are offered along the beach. And still lots of land for lounging. The Kinsmen Park area already offers tennis, baseball/softball fields so that is covered, unless more is needed.
Again, in winter we have skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing. In summer, the only activity permitted is golf. And as noted there are golf opportunities nearby including public option.

Victoria is also a lot more accessible. Hawrelak is great, but not a quick walk for most of Oliver (30-60mins). Where Victoria is less than 10-15mins for almost all of Oliver residents. So it has greater potential to become our premier park, and won't need massive parking lots.

Another funicular around there could be helpful as well for accessibility. Big fan of the courts ideas.

 

[Gronk!]

I would shutdown the Victoria Golf Course and convert it to park space c/w fountains, benches and planters (shut up, archited ), picnic areas, bike paths, washrooms and an off-leash dog park - essentially the same things we've been proposing for the upcoming Warehouse District Park. I would keep both the Greenhouse restaurant and the cricket pitch open along with the road to both.

Just to add further to my comment:
There should be basketball courts, volleyball courts, tennis courts and a skateboard park
Besides the Greenhouse, there should be a couple more eateries including a coffee bistro
Some retail, including a bike shop
There could be room for some food trucks
This park could host festivals (including the Heritage festival), concerts and all that
It could make a good viewing spot for the Canada Day fireworks

 

[northlands]

IMO I think the golf courses are fine, I'm still not particularly pleased with the renewed terms of the Mayfair's lease, but one thing I do wish is that there wasn't a driving range at Victoria--it takes up a helluva lot of prime park space room that could have been better utilized as more open park space, and it's sure an eyesore.

That being said, it's also probably the biggest money maker at Victoria and unfortunately the way they configured it, it'd look awkward if it was ever removed.

 

[Avenuer]

I'm conflicted with closing Victoria - on one hand it's perfectly situated central to Oliver and Downtown, but on the other it's Canada's oldest city-run course and does see lots of use during golf season (anecdotally from my times running, biking and driving by there). I wonder if a compromise could be made to close half of it, keep one half as a 9-hole course and turn the other 9-holes into public parkland?

 

[rake]

My absolute dream scenario is for the city to buy out the Mayfair lease and take it over as a public course, and then remove and replace Victoria with park space with basically all of the uses @Gronk! mentions above. The city keeps/upgrades a central public course, maintains all the Mayfair history/royal designation stuff golf people care about, and opens up space for what could be an incredible urban park/festival space in arguably the most prime river valley location.

I do wish is that there wasn't a driving range at Victoria....
That being said, it's also probably the biggest money maker at Victoria...

I remember stumbling across an administration report from a few years back that confirmed this is 100% the case. Victoria was actually quite profitable (it may have been the only city course that was IIRC) largely due to the range.

 

[archited]

I wonder if a compromise could be made to close half of it, keep one half as a 9-hole course and turn the other 9-holes into public parkland?

This makes perfect sense!

 

[TAS]

This makes perfect sense!

I'd take that compromise, too.

 

[Gronk!]

Victoria is also a lot more accessible. Hawrelak is great, but not a quick walk for most of Oliver (30-60mins). Where Victoria is less than 10-15mins for almost all of Oliver residents. So it has greater potential to become our premier park, and won't need massive parking lots.

Another funicular around there could be helpful as well for accessibility. Big fan of the courts ideas.

I would build a funicular from Grant Notley Park

 

[archited]

^^^^ It could be a tremendous asset for Oliver... probably would get more use than the one downtown. More creative use of the bank slope would be great as well -- it gets full direct sun in the winter and so (I'm guessing) has a micro climate that is warmer than Edmonton generally.

 

[northlands]

Park drinks could return this summer in Edmonton, if council agrees​

More than 50 per cent of survey respondents enjoyed drinking in city parks during 2021 pilot​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-city-council-1.6322569

Absolute swing and a miss by our council on this one. Extremely disappointing.

Booze sites in Edmonton parks on hold for more study, councillors decide

Edmontonians will not be allowed to drink in public parks again this summer, after an attempt to make that happen was defeated at City Hall Monday amid objections from provincial health officials and some community members.

edmonton.ctvnews.ca

 

[TAS]

Absolute swing and a miss by our council on this one. Extremely disappointing.

Booze sites in Edmonton parks on hold for more study, councillors decide

Edmontonians will not be allowed to drink in public parks again this summer, after an attempt to make that happen was defeated at City Hall Monday amid objections from provincial health officials and some community members.

edmonton.ctvnews.ca

Only Coun. Janz was supportive of it. He is definitely on the losing end of a fair amount of the votes.

 

[IanO]

It was flawed from the get go.

Instead of permitting this activity in parks, all parks, everywhere and addressing abuse, disorder and criminal activity etc. through enforcement, we now have a classic case of overregulation/administration/overlook that is rather difficult to put into policy. The vast majority of people who have a beverage or three will not be an issue and happens as we speak. Address problem areas or people and let the people have their cake!

 

[northlands]

I found this interesting from that article:

Several people from Alberta Health Services also asked councillors not to approve more alcohol sites, including a Provincial Addiction Prevention team member, who said parks should continue to be a "timeout from alcohol."

"Actually there is evidence that outdoor spaces are one of the more risky places for drinking and alcohol-related harms, for both the person that is drinking and the person that is not," Z’Anne Harvey-Jansen said.

Harvey-Jansen said Alberta already had concerning rates of alcohol use before the pandemic, but she believes the situation is worse now. Impaired driving, suicide, domestic violence and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder were some of the "secondhand harms" that she listed.

Her colleague suggested more places to drink could result in more people drinking more alcohol, similar to how drinking rates are higher where there are more liquor retailers.

Some serious pearl clutching from our folks at AHS

 

[Gronk!]

The Alberta Government still cannot let go of some of Bible Bill's policies