Letter to the Editor – July 7/09

Re: “Close the City Centre Airport,” July 6

This park has an amazing glow. Photo: Janine Edwards

While visiting one of my fast-becoming-favourite Edmonton-based websites, I was surprised to find an editorial on closing the Edmonton City Centre Airport. I think everyone is missing the big picture here in all this debate.

A little south of the “Muni,” just behind the RCMP (K-division HQ), is a quaint little park. And do you at the edmontonian know which park this is? Airway Park. That’s right. AIRWAY. As in, a park near an Airport.

If we as a city close the Muni, we will have to re-name this little park. I know what you’re thinking now… you’re re-thinking your decision to close the airport. And I don’t blame you.

Re-name a whole park! That will cost us $100’s of dollars! They might even have to create a new tax.

Without Airway Park… where will our children play? Where will the Edmonton Rugby Union or Down Under Club meet?

And I don’t think you were aware of the ESSPA. The Edmonton Senior Slo-Pitch Association has a long history here in Edmonton (it dates back to 1983).

From their site: “The livelihood of our Association has been due to the commitment of our members who have had to make difficult decisions to ensure Senior Slo-Pitch thrives Edmonton. After long and arduous searching for a suitable sight a five year lease agreement was reached with the City early in 1990. This allowed ESSPA to use two diamonds (3 and 4) at Airway Park (113 St. and 113 Ave.) These two diamonds have since been developed to top grade diamonds complete with infield shale, safety fencing, dugouts and sprinkler system, mostly by volunteer help from our members and with the assistance of the City of Edmonton. Approximately $100,000 (material purchases, contract labor and labor in kind) has been spent developing these two diamonds. Although other groups use the diamonds, they are maintained by ESSPA.”

The very livelihood of ESSPA rests on Airway Park. And you want to shut it and make these poor seniors suffer? Or re-name it and confuse them?

Airway Park has softball history, and is used for multiple sports. Photo: Janine Edwards

And what of these two plaques? What would you do to them?

I haven’t even touched on the costs and time we’ll need to expend to update the above websites, Google, and the like. Who will pay?

I’m surprised at the edmontonian for not researching into the debate throughly enough.

Save the Edmonton City Centre Airport. Save Airway Park.

- Janine Edwards, Edmonton

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