Strathcona County is welcoming an $86M multiplex. Here's why a local farm is fighting it

Farming is a family business for the Jacksons. 

Colin and Laura Jackson have owned and operated the 143-year-old Jackson Homesteaders farm in Strathcona County since the 1990s.

But now they say the farm's future is in jeopardy following the announcement of a proposed multipurpose arena set to be located directly beside their land. 

Strathcona County Council has an agreement with the Sherwood Park Crusaders Hockey Society to construct and fund an estimated $86 million multipurpose facility. The facility will include a four-sheet ice-rink arena with seating capacity for at least 2,500.

The proposed location for the arena is north of Highway 16 and west of Township Road 231 (Clover Bar Road), west of Cambrian Crossing in the county.

However, the family said the 24 acres designated for the arena location, sandwiched between their farm and a Canadian National Railway track, is ill-chosen and it would negatively impact their operations.

The Jacksons say they do not oppose increasing amenities for the growing county.

But they are worried about potential issues presented by the arena's location, including foot and vehicular traffic.

"There are safety issues with the animals. That is one of our main concerns. I think if this arena goes in, at present, this is the only fence we have separating the arena." said Laura Jackson. 

"Basically, this is all going to be a parking lot with a massive arena right smack in the middle of it." 

Jackson Homesteaders has a variety of operations, including horse boarding, livestock and grain framing. 

They farm nearly 3,320 acres in the county and the outskirts of Edmonton.

Jackson said the family is concerned about increased instances of trespassing, theft, and litter while carrying out important tasks like harvesting, seeding, and cutting hay. She thinks it would make farming in the arena unfeasible. 

"We have B-trains, highway trucks ... combines and sprayers and tandem trucks going in and out all the time, all day, 20 hours a day, and when we need to get that crop off, we need to move," Jackson said, suggesting that safety issues that would arise from the increased traffic and the space needed to use farming equipment.