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O-day’min Park (formerly Warehouse Park)

^ Last comment on this subject. This depends entirely on where the last heating element terminates in relation to the width of the path. Feel free to go on but this is not worth the time to keep countering arguments -- it is becoming an ever more common element in the Scandinavian countries where it has met with success when installed and detailed properly.
 
^
It’s not dependent on where the last heating element is located, it’s dependent on how the meltwater is handled. Most Scandinavian applications utilize the local storm drainage system which means the system must be extended to the areas being drained. Holland Michigan’s system utilizes permeable pavements and sub structures allowing the melt to enter the areas ground water system. As with the Scandinavian systems, a central plant is integral (water or electrical or geothermal as in Iceland). To be effective, these are simple in principal but complex in their execution and their maintenance (most North American applications other than Holland’s shut down within 10-30 years of their being completed. As I said earlier, when it comes to O-Day’min Park, that potential ship sailed long ago.
 
The park has plenty of shortcomings but people will simply need to live with it. It's a community park so people shouldn't expect more than any other community park is entitled to receive.
 
edmonton.citynews.ca

Slippery sidewalks at new Downtown Edmonton park concern advocates

An advocate with Edmonton group Paths for People is calling out the City of Edmonton's lack of snow and ice removal on a pathway at the new downtown O-day'min Park, despite requiring the public to keep their sidewalks clear. Lauren Boothby reports.
edmonton.citynews.ca edmonton.citynews.ca
 
Out of Towner said:
The park has plenty of shortcomings but people will simply need to live with it. It's a community park so people shouldn't expect more than any other community park is entitled to receive.
Click to expand...
I believe that it is a 'neighbourhood park' (or whatever that higher rank is) versus a 'community park' (localized) and so from what I was told these receive additional resources?! Maybe it was just a dream, but pretty sure that's the case.

It doesn't need Churchill levels of attention, but certainly more than 'any other community park'.
 
johnnyboy said:
edmonton.citynews.ca

Slippery sidewalks at new Downtown Edmonton park concern advocates

An advocate with Edmonton group Paths for People is calling out the City of Edmonton's lack of snow and ice removal on a pathway at the new downtown O-day'min Park, despite requiring the public to keep their sidewalks clear. Lauren Boothby reports.
edmonton.citynews.ca edmonton.citynews.ca
Click to expand...

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IanO said:
I believe that it is a 'neighbourhood park' (or whatever that higher rank is) versus a 'community park' (localized) and so from what I was told these receive additional resources?! Maybe it was just a dream, but pretty sure that's the case.

It doesn't need Churchill levels of attention, but certainly more than 'any other community park'.
Click to expand...
I'm not saying that the COE pulled the wool over your eyes but the COE pulled the wool over your eyes. O-day'min Park was originally represented to the public as a park that would hold some broad status. Conceptually similar to parks that help define a city. Believe me, this park doesn't do that and nobody is going out of their their way to go to O-day'min. If somebody does, they're going to be disappointed because O-day'min is a glorified playground with some walking corridors to get from point "A" to point "B." The park is helpful for attracting some development and for nearby residents to have somewhere to go but that's it. It doesn't have a broader relevance. If it was meant to be broadly representative of the city then it wouldn't have been watered down and it probably wouldn't have a community named attached to it. Chances are that if was meant to be more than a community park it would have been named Edmonton Central Park or City Centre Park or something similar.
 
Yes, I wonder if not naming it Edmonton Central Park was intentional or done on a subconscious level because it was felt or realized it was not quite at the level for that.

If so, I would have then just kept the Warehouse District Park name, which is sort of a community name to build on, rather than introduce a new name at this point although I think it is ok.

However, we also need to be realistic about what winter here can entail. It has been a very cold and snowy one over the last month with some rain and ice. It is hard to keep things up in this sort of weather.
 
Kosy123 said:
Skyrise Cities now confirmed as influential municipal lobbying group
Click to expand...

Just to put this issue of the park's winter maintenance to bed, I did receive a follow-up from city that stated the following:

"We fully agree with your assessment. The current condition of the walkways, specifically the windrows blocking entrances and the ice buildup, is not acceptable.

While the contractor previously reported to us that maintenance was complete, our inspection confirms that the quality of work does not meet the City’s standards or the requirements of their contract.

We are taking the following steps immediately:

Contractor Accountability: We have contacted the contractor to address the discrepancy between their reporting and site conditions. We have directed them to rectify the windrows and address the icy sections to bring the park up to the standard required for safe mobility. We have completed an inspection of the site, and the Project Team will continue to inspect to ensure compliance.

Please continue to use 311 as the primary avenue for reporting concerns.

We are committed to ensuring the contractor fulfills their warranty obligations so that the park and its walkways remain safe and accessible for all."
 
It occurred to me that winterizing the paths in O-day’min Park could be a venture with double benefit and could be structured so as to defray the costs of doing so. If the CoE were to promote an Edmonton version of a 'walk of fame' a trust could be established for 'walk' candidates to be so honored. Like Hollywood in L.A. it could be an effort that spans decades and that gives another level of importance to the park with maybe a bit of a downtown tourism cachet and another reason to focus on a heated path through the park dealing with winter snow events. It could feature as a centre-piece the ubiquitous Edmonton (albeit controversial) bird -- the magpie. Why magpie? In 2025 it became the City's official bird in honor of its deep connection to the urban landscape of the City; Magpies embody traits associated with Edmontonian character -- tough, resilient, resourceful, and hardworking; the birds thrive in Edmonton's urban environment and are therefore common sights (even making Edmonton "Canada's Magpie Capital"); and Magpies also play an ecological role controlling pests and cleaning up urban waste.
b55fc2d6-aff1-4e9f-b000-89161440985f.png

There are many honorees that come to mind...
-- Wayne Gretzky (perhaps most notable in the minds of Hockey fans) plus other sports figures like Jackie Parker, Tom Wilkinson, Warren Moon, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Lori-Ann Muenzer, Kelsey Mitchell and Danielle Serdachny
-- in the arts -- k.d. lang, Mac DeMarco, Graeme Moorhouse, Michael J. Fox, Tommy Chong, Nathan Fillion, Laura Vinson, and Tommy Banks
-- in politics -- our PM Mark Carney, William Hawrelak, Jan Reimer, and Stephen Mandel
-- in Architecture -- Douglas Cardinal, Esther Marjorie Hill, Mary Imrie, Barry Johns, Gene Dub, and Peter Hemmingway
-- First Nations -- Thelma Chalifoux, Doreen Wabaska, Kim Wheeler, Alex Decoteau, "Willie" Littlechild, Lewis Cardinal, and Chief Darlene Misik
The list is pretty substantial.
We might start off with some historical figures (maybe members and coach of the Edmonton Grads) and notables such as Henry Marshal Tory, Alexander Cameron Rutherford, and Grant MacEwan
When O-day’min Park paths are filled up it could then extend to adjacent City sidewalks and another way to connect through the adjoining alley to Beaver Hills Park.
 
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^ would be amazing to see something happen like that. I would love for the city and business community and others to buils on what we have and add more reasons for people to visit our city and downtown.

I think the City should also embrace some of it's symbols more (or why have them?) - for instance, lets get our official flower lining one or more of the walkways or something.

Official Flower: The Marigold

Symbolizes sunny Alberta and Edmonton’s role in the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s
Like the flower’s many varieties, Edmonton is home to a vibrant medley of different cultures and backgrounds.

Screenshot_20251226_135647_Samsung Internet.jpg
 
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