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Urban National Park Option for the River Valley

Would you support the River Valley becoming an Urban National Park?

  • Total voters
    47
There has to be a ton of considerations to be taken in this kind of adventure by the Federal Government -- there are so many stakeholders in the river valley end-to-end -- not just golf-courses, not just existing public scenes like the Zoo and Fort Edmonton and Kinsmen and the Ball Park, not just existing City Parks, not just crossings that run through the valley, not just existing residential areas, not just Provincial jurisdictions, not just First Nations legitimate land claims, not just speculative land owners, not just historical buildings and sites -- but all that plus the political dynamics. I think that the first move has to be assessing all of the individual pieces, their worth and whether or not they fit into a mega-park scheme, and what to do with those that do and those that don't.
It is not surprising to me that the initial study phases will be years-long in duration.
 
medium.com

How to create Edmonton’s first National Urban Park.

What is a National Urban Park and how will it make Edmonton even more awesome? And no, you will never need to pay to access it.
medium.com medium.com

Many of you have reached out to me with questions like What is a National Urban Park? How is it different than a National Park? and What does this mean for Edmonton?. So let me provide some clarity here as we explore this concept together.

A National Urban Park in Edmonton would mean that we call the shots and the space would always remain free and accessible to all visitors. This would allow Edmonton to access federal funds to improve and upgrade the designated green space. We could tackle erosion in the river valley, upgrade public facilities and even create educational programs with the dollars.

I understand that there has been some confusion which has led folks to feel concerned that this designation would mean we give up our green spaces to the Federal Government. I can promise that is not the case. We are grateful that the Federal Government is supportive of this project and will provide support, but this space will remain unapologetically Edmontonian, like me!

The most important aspect of this initiative is how we engage and collaborate with Indigenous communities and leaders in the spirit of reconciliation. During the announcement, Chief Tony Alexis said “Indigenous Peoples have a deep connection to the land so I am grateful for this development. Having a National Urban Park in Treaty 6 Territory would not only provide space for connecting to the Land, but would also provide opportunities for healing and cultural celebration for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. This is a step in the right direction towards Reconciliation.”

Our goal is to honour the traditional keepers of this land, and to acknowledge our roles as Treaty people along the way. Respecting, preserving and celebrating the Earth is an act of kinship, and we will work with culturally-experienced climate change experts to ensure that this space is available for generations to come. That is also why a specific space has not been announced yet. We are working collaboratively with Indigenous partners to identify what the National Urban Park will include. That decision-making process brings Indigenous voices to the table on day one rather than having the government make all the decisions and only involve Indigenous folks at the very end. We will all be equal partners in this new project.

The conversations around establishing a National Urban Park in Edmonton have been happening for years, and I am so pleased that this is coming to fruition now, with Edmonton City Council forging the way forward. We must protect our green spaces, we must make them accessible and inclusive, and we must address climate change while forgoing this project.

Together, we will build an Edmonton for us all, and it starts right here, on Treaty Six land.​

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I just filled out an Insight survey on an urban national park in Edmonton. I support it although I did raise concerns as to how this will affect projects such as Touch The Water, Rossdale transportation network, Hawrelak Park renovation, gondola, etc.

Survey should be here
www.edmonton.ca

National Urban Park Initiative | City of Edmonton

The City of Edmonton is starting to discuss what a National Urban Park might look like in our city.
www.edmonton.ca www.edmonton.ca
 
Thanks for sharing!

My dream is that an influx of federal funding leads to the daylighting of Mill Creek.

It would be great to restore a habitat that was destroyed decades ago when there were plans for a massive freeway system within the city.
 
Edmcowboy11 said:
With a few exceptions we mostly want to maintain nature in the valley anyways.
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If by we, you mean most people, I would agree. However, the problem is we are a large and growing urban area and there is increasing pressure to use or develop areas that are not already developed.

It can be convenient and sometimes even done by our own government, such as building a solar facility in the river valley or lucrative for powerful private interests who may have a lot of influence with civic public officials. Each project or proposal might be a little bit here and there, but cumulatively it can start to erode and diminish the amount of natural area left.
 
GUNTER: Hold a referendum before handing Edmonton's river valley over to the feds
Federal protection comes with federal control
Published Jul 06, 2023 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 3 minute read
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Coloured leaves are reflected in the North Saskatchewan River as the warm weather continues on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020 in Edmonton. PHOTO BY GREG SOUTHAM /Postmedia file
edmontonsun.com

GUNTER: Hold a referendum before handing Edmonton's river valley over to the feds

Our river valley. Ours. The most precious natural asset our city possesses.
edmontonsun.com edmontonsun.com
 
trevorhayden said:
I support this great plan solely because it triggers people with Trudeau derangement syndrome!
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Maybe while they're at it, they can hold another referendum on equalization at the same time, seeing as the last one accomplished nothing.

I would be interested to know if any other cities have or are planning referendums on having Urban National Parks or if it is just is just one of those Alberta political bs grievance things.
 
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