Edmonton's newest river valley park opens this month — here's a sneak peek
CBC
With two covered barn bridges and a lake bigger than the one in Hawrelak Park, Edmonton's newest river valley park is set to open later this month.
The Northeast River Valley Park — the name is only a placeholder — will open to the public on Sunday, Sept. 24, with a range of activities for visitors.
The City of Edmonton acquired the property at 903 153rd Ave. N.E. in May 2023. It was previously a not-for-profit children's camp known as Our Lady Queen of Peace Ranch.
"It is the most picturesque and beautiful landscape," said Juanita Spence, the city's supervisor of river valley parks and facilities.
In addition to the bridges and the lake, the 77-hectare green space features a playground and a 25,000-square-foot event centre Spence calls "a real surprise."
"Not only its size but where it's situated above the lake, with the beautiful wood beams, it's truly spectacular and a one-of-a-kind facility in the city."
The park will get a new formal name at a later date. Residents and other stakeholders will have an opportunity to provide input on the long-term plan for the park, including its name, as part of a concept-planning process expected to begin this autumn.
The park had been scheduled to open this summer but construction was paused to accommodate the nesting of migratory birds, said Spence.
WATCH | Check out the new green space set to open Sept. 24:
You can see more from the new Northeast River Valley Park this week on Our Edmonton on Saturday at 10 a.m., Sunday at noon and 11 a.m. Monday on CBC TV and CBC Gem.
This week city crews are busy cutting grass, placing picnic tables and grading the gravel road into the park.
The new park may be the latest green space to open in the capital region but it's far from the only one. You can find more than 70 spots to spend your September on this interactive green space gems map.
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