Hidden gems of Edmonton park system make secluded summer staycation destinations
Adrienne Lamb, Rick Bremness | CBC News | Posted: June 6, 2020 2:00 PM | Last Updated: June 6, 2020
'We want to encourage people to get outside but we also want to encourage people to spread out'
These days, Nicole Fraser can often be found at the Callingwood District Park near her house where she takes her two-and-a-half year old son to burn off energy and stay entertained.
But lately she's noticing a difference. "I think, right now, use of public parks is high," said Fraser, a manager with the City of Edmonton's parks and road services branch.
Fraser says one of Edmonton's biggest selling features has always been the River Valley, with 160 kilometres of trails snaking their way along the banks of the North Saskatchewan River in the capital region.
"Especially given the COVID-19 situation, and because a lot of other forms of entertainment or recreation are closed, we're seeing increased usage of our trail system and of our parks."
But it's not just the biggies like Louise McKinney, Borden and Hawrelak Parks that are available to eager staycationers. The City of Edmonton boasts close to 400 officially named parks and 875 more green spaces, including everything from trails to natural areas and neighbourhood pocket parks.
"We want to encourage people to get outside, but we also want to encourage people to spread out," Fraser said.
She suggests park-goers hit up the city's website to view a parks map and listings of all greenspaces.
As to how Edmonton ended up with so many parks, Kathryn Ivany says it can all be traced back to planning that started more than 110 years ago.
Consultants were hired out of Britain and the United States back in 1908 and they recommended preserving a lot of land.
"We have some good plans and some good bones on which we have built our park system over the years, so we're very lucky," said Ivany, a city archivist.
You can see more of the green spaces in Twin Brooks on Our Edmonton Saturday at 10 a.m. and Sunday at noon on CBC TV and CBC GEM.
Ivany says she's fondest of parks named after people who have contributed to the city, from politicians to sports figures, suffragettes and war brides, teachers to dentists.
"I think there's a lot of history hidden in Edmonton parks."
With new parks being created and dedicated all the time, Ivany believes this may be the summer Edmontonians step out of their comfort zone and explore something new in their own backyards.
Groups like the River Valley Alliance are pitching in on that front. In honour of International Trails Day on June 6, the organization published three new "Trail Walks to Go" maps on their website featuring short, easy trail routes in Central Edmonton and the areas of Dawson, Rossdale and downtown.
Parks staff say they have noticed a marked increase in the number of people using these public green spaces during the pandemic and the trend is expected to continue throughout the summer, as would-be travellers contend with travel restrictions and unease about other trips.