Valley of Dreams - an article about the River Valley Alliance plans

[Urban recluse]

Let's make it happen!

[s4.audios]

Lol I love how the commentator is a Cloverdale resident. This beach will and has probably shut up a lot of those stop the bridge NIMBYs

On a serious note, this is a huge opportunity for the city. I hope they make space in next years budget for a few truckloads of sand. If Iveson promises, he's got my vote!!

[Airboy]

The reason that sand bar has shown up isn't so much the bridge construction but due to the extremely low water level. every year or 2 there is always a new sand bar that appears or disappears. The island above the fort foot bridge was a sand bar for years and when the bank on the opposite side came down ( and took the houses) the water course shifted and it became a full fledged Island. I remember rowing past it for years.

[Hallsy's Toupee]

New Rossdale promenade put on hold due to Walterdale bridge delay
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...252994?cmp=rss

Construction of the city's Touch the Water promenade project has been put on hold.

A report from city administration going to the city's urban planning committee next week recommended delaying the project until at least 2019.

The promenade is a plan to create more places for people to gather in Rossdale, near the north end of the new Walterdale bridge, and could include plazas, walkways, and docks.

The delayed opening of the Walterdale Bridge is partly responsible for putting the project on hold, the report said.

Portions of the promenade site are being used for laydown and staging areas for the bridge, which is expected to open sometime in September 2017.

Another reason for the delay is the discovery of contaminated land in some of the area proposed for Touch the Water.

Since the timeline for provincial approval of its contamination management plan is uncertain, Touch the Water isn't able to proceed, the report says.

Administration recommends removing the $9.8 million budgeted for the project in the current budget cycle.

A request for funding for Touch the Water would then be presented to city council as part of the 2019-2022 budget.

[Coldrsx]

Seriously...

[Hallsy's Toupee]

City will look into maintaining 'secret' beach beyond bridge construction
http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loca...e-construction

The possibility of keeping a secret beach — that’s not much of a secret anymore — will be discussed at city council Tuesday.

Coun. Ben Henderson said he will bring forward an inquiry on what will be necessary to operate the beach, including permits and provincial and federal requirements, because it is outside municipal jurisdiction.

“We’ve been talking about wanting this kind of facility in the city for a long time and here’s one that just magically appeared,” Henderson said. “Why would we not explore whether or not we’d hold onto it?”

The beach, along the south side of the North Saskatchewan River, unexpectedly formed as a result of berms built for construction of the new Tawatina LRT bridge across the river.

Once the berms come out following construction, the beach would likely disappear, water resources engineer Darren Shepherd of SG1 Water Consulting Ltd. told the Journal Aug. 16. The city is looking into the possibility of maintaining the one-kilometre-long strip, about 25 metres wide, below Cloverdale, beyond the bridge construction.

“It’s going to take some digging,” Mayor Don Iveson said. “If there’s a way we can keep it and comply with the federal and provincial rules, then I’m very open to that.”

[Coldrsx]

A photo I took from Saskatoon of their Downtown beach.


http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps6xbdrzpr.jpg

[Hallsy's Toupee]

Edmonton wants expanse of river valley designated as provincial park
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...erve-1.4281615

Edmonton's mayor wants to see a major chunk of the North Saskatchewan River valley designated as an urban provincial park.

The Big Island-Woodbend area covers more than 400 hectares, extending from Anthony Henday Drive in the southwest to the town of Devon.

"It really is a phenomenal area," Mayor Don Iveson said Friday. "The beauty that was there 100 years ago is still fully there."

The idea to have the area become a provincial park was first raised in early 2016, said Iveson.

In recent months, the mayor's office has hosted meetings with officials from Parkland County, Enoch Cree Nation, Leduc County and the Town of Devon to gauge interest.

Informal talks with provincial officials have gone well, and now is the time to ask them to formally consider the idea, he said.

On Tuesday, city council will discuss sending a letter to the province with a request to designate the area a park, and asking the province to develop the concept.

[Hallsy's Toupee]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...284355?cmp=rss

Edmonton's funicular will be taking people into and out of the river valley before winter, according to the City of Edmonton.

"We're still on track to be opening up this fall," said Jesse Banford, director of facility infrastructure delivery.
Banford said the city is looking at doing a grand opening some time after the election in October.

"We're attending to the final touches," he said. "We're 90 to 95 per cent complete."

The work is scheduled to be done by the end of December, he said.

There will be no charge to use the funicular, which passengers can summon by pushing a call button.

The funicular will take people from the top of the river bank, behind the Hotel Macdonald, to the mid-way point which looks out over the valley.

[Coldrsx]

Interesting... mid-Sept was being used not very long ago which did seem aggressive. It looks amazing though.

[Coldrsx]

Staying at a boutique hotel (The Mere) along the river beside an old pump station converted into a beautiful wine bar/restaurant (Cibo). Where is that in Edmonton? Can we please get Rossdale going.

Hotel/arts space/condos/brewery/restaurant/patios/outdoor performance space.


http://www.merehotel.com


http://winnipeglovehate.com


http://winnipeglovehate.com

[Coldrsx]

Visited the second hotel, restaurant, bar, tourist attraction, local amenity last night in their 'river valley'.

How do we not have any of this in ours?

[s211]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Visited the second hotel, restaurant, bar, tourist attraction, local amenity last night in their 'river valley'.

How do we not have any of this in ours?

Historical/geographical difference may have something to do with it. Winnipeg's rivers aren't deep in valleys. The steep slopes present in most of Edmonton's river valley create physical and thus perhaps mental barriers.

[Hallsy's Toupee]

There's also a prevailing "thou shalt not touch the river valley unless ye be cyclist or jogger" mentality. What Ian is talking about is perfect for Lower Rossdale.

[itom 987]

Turn the power plant into a hotel.

[Coldrsx]

WOW!


https://www.northonsixty.com/funicular
Credit: http://www.brockkryton.com

[itom 987]

They might as well put a bungee jump at the end of it.

[Coldrsx]

December 9 is the day!

[mintzilla]

with regards to that accidental beach, many many people were wading and swimming in the water. so far i haven't heard about any mass breakout of illness related to the water use so i am thinking the fear mongering was a bit overblown

seems like admin says it would be too hard to keep (AKA we dont want to actually have to put an effort into doing something so if we say its too hard we get a free pass on doing our jobs. step 2 will be to announce a price tag so large that theres no way it will get done. how many 100 millions?)
http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loca...cidental-beach

[Coldrsx]

Excited for tomorrow. This is a beauty!