'Daylighting' Mill Creek estimated to cost at least $10M
$250,000 feasibility study still needs council approval before going ahead
The city wants to move ahead with plans to resurrect Mill Creek, but a new course for the ravine will have to be charted and the project's cash-flow concerns solved before work can begin.
For years, the ravine flowed into the North Saskatchewan River. But in 1970 it was diverted and pushed underground to make way for construction of a new freeway that was never built.
A large part of the brook now runs through a stretch of pipe, much like a sewer. But ravine advocates believe the creek should be brought back to the surface through a process called daylighting when work on the LRT Valley line begins. Daylighting, in this case, means uncovering and exposing the creek to daylight.
"We have a unique opportunity to reconnect this ecosystem and fix something that we broke back in the 1970s," said Keepers of Mill Creek member Adam Sweet during a Tuesday interview on CBC radio's Edmonton AM.
"The Valley LRT line will come along west of Muttart Conservatory and then up Connors Road," Sweet said. "That's where the original creek bed was. So this is an opportunity . . . for us to kill two birds with one stone."
An administration report put before city council during Tuesday's executive committee meeting suggests restoring the creek bed will be expensive. Project costs have previously been pegged at more than $10 million. Researching the best location for restoration is expected to cost $400,000.
Administration expects $3 million in provincial and federal funding will be made available for restoration work, but funding isn't available for the feasibility study. The city will need to rely on outside grants and fundraising from community groups, such as Keepers of Mill Creek, to make the project happen.
The council committee directed city staff on Tuesday to come back with a $250,000 feasibility study for the downstream portion of Mill Creek that stretches from Connors Road down to the North Saskatchewan River. City council needs to give approval before that can go ahead.
"This will give them the necessary information about whether or not to go forward with daylighting Mill Creek at this time. We're looking forward to council approving this study so we can make an informed decision," Sweet said.