Halfway through 3-year closure, Hawrelak Park rehabilitation on schedule, city says

Edmonton's William Hawrelak Park is on track to reopen as planned in 2026 after rehabilitation work, city officials say.

About halfway through a long three-year closure, which started last March, much of the park looks like a construction site. Large areas of grass are stripped to the dirt, and workers are digging into the earth with heavy equipment.

It's a far cry from the expansive green space that's been a year-round destination for Edmontonians, and a long-standing venue for major events like the Edmonton Heritage Festival.

Matthew Everett, the City of Edmonton's general supervisor of facility infrastructure delivery, said Wednesday that the public space will be restored soon. Work is anticipated to be finished by the end of 2025.

"When we had to close the park last year, it wasn't done lightly," he said.

"The infrastructure within this park was original since opening in 1967, so it was really time to make sure that we addressed it."

Juanita Spence, the supervisor of river valley parks and facilities, said the city will be in talks with local festival organizations about returning to Hawrelak Park as the opening date gets closer.

The city is putting $134 million toward renewal work in the park. Replacing decades-old utility infrastructure is one of the biggest jobs, with entirely new storm sewer and water distribution systems. The park's lake also had to be drained last year in order to grade it — part of an environmental management plan to improve water quality once it's filled back up.

Everett said work is also underway on pathways and the ring road around the park, and the amphitheatre and pavilion space are being renovated with new accessibility improvements.

City staff warned last year that 220 mature trees would need to come down to accommodate extensive excavation for utility replacement.

But so far, Everett said crews have had to remove fewer trees than expected.

"We'll be able to share a little more information once we've completed the project and have a full count of the trees."

He said digging into the ground has also revealed some fossilized bison bones and dinosaur bones, which are being examined and catalogued.