Explore Edmonton
Today’s event selection is not really one you could accomplish (in its entirety) in one evening, or even one full day.
You may remember me talking about the Edmonton Community Challenge (put on by the Next Gen committee and Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues) back in June.
Our scrappy little team from Strathcona Centre placed a respectable fifth, notable due to our handful of active members. While we were darn proud to have collected the most food for the Edmonton Food Bank in the sculpture challenge (King Edward School gets a lot of the credit) I think it’s safe to say the core of our team had the most fun in the city-wide photo scavenger hunt.
By checking Flickr, I would say the other top teams also had a blast with this.
We had to run all over Edmonton, taking photos of ourselves in front of historically significant buildings, on bridges, shopping in all of the Business Revitalization Zones (BRZ), spending time in our favourite parks and local haunts, high-fiving councillors, and hitting up each branch of the Edmonton Public Library.
I learned that Edmonton has WAY more bridges than one could get to in a day, or even a week. Especially if you start counting footbridges. The libraries are spread out, and it took many hours to get to all of them (the EPL Go at the University of Alberta is also the cutest little library).
Somehow we completed every task on the photo scavenger hunt, even getting to the whale at West Edmonton Mall before it was removed for the opening of Victoria’s Secret. (There may be an item or two you can’t do right now.)
Living in one of the city’s oldest, most vibrant, neighbourhoods sure helped too. Strathcona has plenty of historically recognized buildings, it’s a BRZ right now, has any type of business needed for the photo challenge, a library branch, giant trees, and plenty of people to start a parade.
Prior to this challenge, I had never been to a bottle depot. I feel more like an Edmontonian now.
So today I offer you a chance to explore Edmonton like you probably haven’t before. Take a scan through the scavenger hunt from the Edmonton Community Challenge and choose a few items to track down, or try, before the summer is out.
I bet, just like I discovered how historically significant my work neighbourhood is, you find out a few things about Edmonton you didn’t know.
(It’s a lot of fun to see how many U of A bunnies you can get into one picture. Those suckers are fast.)
Let me know if you do any of these, or have photos of them already. You can always toss them into our Flickr pool too.
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Keep in mind you should play safe and not break any laws. Also “team” is you.
Here’s what you could do: (more…)
Where we’re going we don’t need roads
Roads aren't just for cars anymore.
(Actually we will need roads.)
I had a fantastic Saturday in Edmonton. Here’s where I’ll tell you why it was such a good day.
Of course, the weather was beautiful. Sunny, hot, blue sky with puffy white clouds, just a few minutes of rain early evening…perfect summer day stuff. That always puts a bounce in the step.
But it was more than that. I got a haircut. That’s always nice too, but not really what this is all about.
I saw an Edmonton that was for the urbanite. It was walkable, transit-connected, bike-orientated, local, for just about everyone, and fun.
I tweeted that it was a glimpse into what Edmonton could be in the future, at least on a regular basis, and I stand by that.
Let me walk you through what I did, to explain.
The main part of this story begins on the High Level Bridge Streetcar. I finally got to ride one of the streetcars that wasn’t the Australian one. That one is nice, but they have three of them and I’ve never been on the other two.
I finally got a different ride, on the German streetcar. It’s red and sleek and feels a little more modern than it’s Aussie counterpart. Riding an old, yet new, form of transit from the southside, across the picturesque river valley, is always fun. And it doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to get to the Grandin area (109 Street south of Jasper Avenue).
The streetcar is a good time, but it’s also a great example of re-purposing old tracks for something that can continue to be used. It also makes me sad that we had streetcars a long time ago and they’re all gone now. Especially when you hear about the new, low-floor LRT that will likely be running down the centre of main streets, mimicking that streetcar of old.
Edmontonians are even braving winter to commute to work on their bicycles.
Off the streetcar, I walked about six blocks to the Bikeology Festival happening in Beaver Hills House Park, at Jasper and 105 Street. This is one of Edmonton’s many, many, summer festivals. This one is all about the bicycle though.(June is bike month in Edmonton.)
I chatted with the Edmonton Bicycle and Touring Club about day-trips and evening rides they do in and around Edmonton. They’re seeing a surge in popularity. They also do a handful of rides between Jasper and Banff, some very rugged and others with stops and proper rest places on the way.
The Edmonton Bicycle Commuters’ Society was on hand, talking about the best way to get to work, dressing for the weather, and tune-ups. I really get the sense that Edmonton’s bike scene is growing. If it’s not expanding, people are certainly more open about loving their bicycles, and using them for more than just some summer exercise.
(Don’t forget to track down a map of all the city’s bike trails and routes!)
This year, if you headed just a bit northeast of Bikeology, you found more bikes and more options to driving your car on the road.
The City held its first Park(ed) event on 102 Avenue, between 104 and 100 Streets. In conjunction with Mountain Equipment Co-op’s Bikefest, you saw a lot of two-wheeled options to the automobile. You also saw that roads don’t always have to be for cars and trucks.
Besides bikes and walking, the point of Park(ed) was to take over parking spaces. People got to throw down some AstroTurf (if they wanted) and set up camp (as you can see to the right, sometimes literally) in a plot of pavement usually reserved exclusively for a car, truck, van or motorcycle. It was a great street party, and fun for the whole family, but it was also about re-thinking the city.
We have a few street parties through the summer, including the Art Walk on Whyte Avenue, but here we were, in the downtown core, walking down the middle of the street on a busy Saturday. I loved it. I hope people thought about that fact that we don’t have to build everything to suit the automobile.
We don’t have to turn every street into a giant sidewalk, but we can think about pedestrians, think about neighbourhood use, transit, bike lanes, all kinds of things that both move us around and get us outside to meet the community.
Fellow pedestrians, 104 Street can be ours!
Now, 104 Street, in my opinion, IS a street that could be pedestrian-only, between Jasper and 102 Avenue. If not all the way up to 104 Avenue.
The Downtown Farmers’ Market takes the street over every Saturday through the spring, summer and some of fall, it’s already narrow, it’s becoming one of the greatest examples of a busy core with high population density, and its got plenty of street-level interaction and retail.
The farmers’ market (and the many others in and around Edmonton) is a another example of something we can keep moving toward; local food. It doesn’t have to be local at the exclusion of all other foods, but when something can be grown right here it’s often better to buy it right here. It at least supports the local food economy.
It was great to see Bikeology connected to Park(ed) and the Bikefest, and all of it right by the always busy farmers’ market.
But that’s not all that happened Saturday.
Park(ed)’s reign on the street ended as you moved east down 102 Avenue, but I soon found myself at an energetic Churchill Square. The basketball nets were busy, people were making their way to the fountain at City Hall to cool off, ‘boarders were at the temproary skate park, street food was flowing (summer foods like ice cream and hot dogs), and there was even a rock show this weekend.
That all really melted together nicely, within a few, walkable, blocks. And it was another block to the bus, to ride back to the southside.
We talk a lot about making the city more sustainable, building more LRT tracks and getting more people out of their cars, revitalizing the downtown and older, core, neighbourhoods. There are certainly things that get in the way, like the Edmonton Public School Board shutting down central schools, and our endlessly growing roadways and sprawling suburbs.
But, I think this weekend proved we can become a different kind of city, without even changing all that much.
Sounds like a challenge
We found a perfectly good hacky sack while out cleaning. I'm not good at hacky sacking.
I’ve been mentioning something called the Edmonton Community Challenge, so I figure I should explain that in a little more detail.
How about right now, does that work for you? Good.
The Edmonton Community Challenge is a collaboration of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues (EFCL) and the city’s Next Gen Committee. The EFCL is the group that looks over all of the city’s 150 community leagues, leading them, guiding them, helping them out. Next Gen is a committee made up of 18-40-year olds, with the aim of attracting and retaining young, creative people in Edmonton.
They’ve teamed up, and secured $15,000 from Boardwalk Rental Communities and Telus, to get the city’s community leagues competing. Also part of the team are The Works Art and Design Festival, Capital City Cleanup, Bikeology Festival, Edmonton Bicycle Commuters, and Youth Emergency Shelter Society
The $15,000 prize, to be awarded July 1, will be for a capital project. Looking at some of the bio information from the leagues you can see where that would go. Some are talking parks, others playgrounds, and some (like my own team from Strathcona Centre) would use the money at their community hall.
There were also prizes handed out at the kick-off breakfast, and somebody is going to win an iPad, also July 1. AN iPAD!
It’s a great idea from the NextGen/EFCL braintrust. They had another good idea last year, teaming up to connect younger people (18-40) with their community league. It was a great mixer and probably helped people even realize we had community leagues. If you don’t know which league is yours, check here.
A morning event is only as good as its pancakes.
The challenge is the best part though. There are plenty of ways to get community leagues to compete for money. You could have them submit applications, write pitches, etc… but this is all about community spirit.
The events include the pancake breakfast (Points just for eating pancakes!), a neighbourhood cleanup, collecting food for the Edmonton Food Bank, collecting recyclable bottles and cans to be turned into cash for the Youth Emergency Shelter Society, tuning up and donating bikes, attending the Bikeology Festival, building a canned good sculpture, and, the best of all, a photo scavenger hunt.
Our teammate, Gord, is high-fiving Councillor Don Iveson because high-fiving every councillor is part of the scavenger hunt.
More than 400 people, from 21 neighbourhoods, will be competing in some or all of those events. We’ll be the ones snapping photos of ourselves outside of libraries and pleading with you to let us take your bike in for a tune-up.
If you want to see what people cleaned up, or what kinds of scavenger hunt items we’re seeking, you can search “yegchallenge” on Flickr.
Already, I’ve been having a great time. I’ve met neighbours, and community-minded people, and I’m experiencing aspects of Edmonton I may not have. I mentioned that I kicked around the Norwood and Sprucewood neighbourhoods, during Heart of the City on the weekend, and it was because of this contest.
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I went back in time to clean up Whyte Avenue. Actually, that's just Eric, our team's leading cleaner.
I also got up early Saturday, which doesn’t always happen. And I helped clean up a couple blocks of Whyte Avenue. I like things tidy but I’m not normally the guy out cleaning up, not even during Capital City Clean Up events.
So I think it means the plan is working.
Also, I’ll take your canned goods, old bikes, and bottles and cans.
Always believe
We did it!
Alright, we, as in the edmontonian or Edmonton as a whole, didn’t do anything. But Commerce Place employees, visitors and just plain everyday Edmontonians can enjoy free and easy access from the city’s premiere street to the building.
It only took forever.
Never forget.
Door Watch will always have a special place in our hearts because it was one of our first features, and one of the first stories that seemed to connect with people who would say to us “Yeah, that door hasn’t been open in a bygone.”
We talk to a lot of old people who use terms like bygone.
Our only complaint was that the door was broken for so long that it had already become lore of unfixable items by the time we hit the scene.
Gee…I wonder if anyone else is being lax in fixing major items around this town…maybe we can get on their case next.
Sadly, when they were trapped inside the boarded up door in 2008 there were 10 of them.
Armature
An example of the proposed look of the area, from the City of Edmonton.
By @tricotmiss
I attended a very interesting meeting last night. Edmonton NextGen invited people to a public consultation meeting about the proposed “Armature” development in the Quarters. There is a long-term plan to revitalize the Quarters and the Armature project is central to that plan. But rather than focus on the development of buildings the Armature is the development of the greenspace that will make those future residential developments a community – and a showcase community for the city of Edmonton.
This post is just my impressions from the meeting, I’ll have more detailed information next week.
Basically, the plan is for a pedestrian parkway running from 103 Avenue, south to Jasper Avenue and the top of Louise McKinney Park along 96 Street. There were a number of things that excited me about this project: (more…)
EastwoodFest, Woo!
Ain't no party like a 118 Avenue party.
When you think of summer parties you think of barbecues in the backyard, patios, Whyte Avenue, various festivals, and 118 Avenue.
What? You don’t think about 118 Avenue? Maybe you should.
Granted, it may not be the first place you think of (or even the second, or third) when trying to come up with a place to enjoy Edmonton’s short summer. But there’s a revitalization going on, don’t you know.
This past weekend saw Eastwoodfest take over the 118 Avenue area, 82-87 Streets.
As roving reporter Paul tells us… “The turnout was actually not bad. Not bad for what’s by and large considered Edmonton’s ghetto. The crowds in the pictures (above, below) look especially sparse but I credit that to the way the event was set up. The avenue was shut down from 82nd street to 87th street with booths, events, food, etc… lining both sides of the street as well as a line of booths set up right in the middle of the road.”
“The upgrades to the avenue itself look good. New sidewalks, lights, pavement, etc… (That’s all part of ongoing City efforts.) And there are a few new or renovated businesses that are doing their part to transform 118th. It’ll be a long process but I think that in five years, 118th will be a hot spot in Edmonton.”
You head a little west down the Avenue and you hit spots like The Carrot, an artsy, volunteer-run, coffee spot that’s part of the push to makeover 118.
More from the Edmonton Journal here. Mostly I mention the Journal story because they have a quote that “…life’s good in the hood.”
Eastwoodfest equals fun.
104 Street rocks my socks
Old buildings to the left of me, new ones to the right...
Sometimes, living near Whyte Avenue, I forget there are other pedestrian-friendly areas of the city that are totally sweet. It can happen in a city that so often reminds me that I shouldn’t venture more than 20 steps without something on four wheels carrying me around.
But 104 Street, between 100 and 104 Avenues, might be one of the best spots to enjoy a high-density, walkable urban area.
Thinking about it, I don’t know why the City of Edmonton doesn’t just make 104 Street pedestrian-only (say, the same blocks that are closed north-south during the market). Businesses and condos already have entrances in the back lanes, and people in the area have to adjust for Saturdays through the summer. I’d settle for pedestrian-only in daylight hours, but all week. (Points to e-mail my city councillors with, I guess.)
Great, fairly traded, coffee and yummy cookie.
Enjoying a fine latte at Credo Coffee, I had time to think about what this street is becoming. Of course, summer Saturdays, 104 Street is shut-down to traffic of the vehicular kind from Jasper to 103 Avenue for the City Market. You can’t get much more pedestrian-friendly.
The market’s not new, and while Sobey’s Urban Fresh has added a livability to the area, we’re now seeing a small business boom as work on new condos nears completion. The street is also retaining some of the older brick buildings, which is always great to see.
You’ve got one of my favourite stores, and one that speaks to a sustainable city; Carbon. It’s got plenty of stuff for around the home (and for every room) which makes it both a destination and a neighbourhood store.
You can't shop much more green than this.
There’s the Blue Plate Diner, always a great choice for local and delicious food. You’ve got tapas (Tzin), wine (deVine) and furniture and home decor at 29 Armstrong, all of which make the street a stop for those looking to shop.
Some of them cater to an evening out or a great brunch and other shops are for people living in the neighbourhood. There’s a tailor and hair dresser, which could be destination stores but mostly speak to living close by.
With an LRT stop right underneath Jasper and 104 it’s clearly an area that’s going to appeal to those looking to ditch the car a little more often, or completely.
104 Street might not qualify as a hidden gem but it’s worth a reminder to check out this strip, especially on a Saturday when closed to traffic. It’s nice to know that even in the city of cars we have places that cater to the walking public.
Could we go all pedestrian all the time?
What’s up, 112 Street?
They should just have an EPCOR station at this intersection.
Normally I hear about a water main breaking and I’m all “meh.”
But I’ve got to wonder what’s going on underneath 112 Street at, and near, Jasper Avenue. Back in the spring there was a big water main break that flooded the street and took some time to fix.
(It took months to get the sidewalk at the southeast corner up to par.)
Now there’s a water main busting loose just south of Jasper. FYI: The sidewalk is also blocked.
So, clearly I should start worrying about a monster living under the intersection, a monster that feeds on water mains.
I wonder if he can see any monsters.
Walk This Way
Whyte Avenue on a busy Saturday afternoon.
This is the first in a series of community profiles looking at Edmonton’s “walkable neighbourhoods.” Searching online, it appears the condition of sidewalks, street lighting and other infrastructure stuff makes up the “walkable neighbourhood” criteria. I think instead we’ll look at what makes you want to live in the neighbourhood ,and how close the important stuff is; a grocery store(s), shops, businesses, restaurants, workplaces, transit and other amenities. Let’s say within a 10-15 minute walk. Agree or disagree, let us know what you think. Tell us about your experiences in these neighbourhoods and others we might not have walked yet.
WALKABLE WHYTE
Stairy, stairy night
I was genuinely surprised by reaction to a story I blogged about last month.
I didn’t know people cared about the steep stairs at Ezio Farone Park, I had only thought it odd the city would tear them out during the summer. You know, when they are used. But people were talking to me about the stairs for about a week after I posted the story.
It really hit me that those super-local stories can get people talking.
So…since the stairs are back, I now present you with images of the new, improved, still has that fresh-cut wood smell, stairs at Ezio Farone Park!
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- It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock’n'roll.
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- So many stairs…
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- The end of stairs!
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- I can see my house from here.
The good thing, for lazy people like me, is that there are more resting points on that steep climb. It’s totally worth it though since the park gives you a great view of the river valley.
If you’re looking for more information on Edmonton’s parks and the river valley (or parks IN the river valley!) head to this website. They’ve also got information on fire bans, trail closures and stuff like stair repair.
The asparagus is in!
It's so green. And tasty.
I’ve been meaning to write about Edmonton’s farmers’ markets for a few weeks now. We did get a plug in for one busy vendor as our first featured Edmontonian. I think it’s a great thing for people living here, and it’s something that really does put us on the list with world-class cities.
We’ve got great farmland around the city, we’ve got multiple markets (and all of them seem busy all the time) and it’s one of those subtle items that makes Edmonton a good place to live.
While watching a local TV channel’s weekend show I caught a story about strawberries hitting the markets in Victoria, and remembered thinking last week how I’d yet to see a strawberry at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market. I attributed to this our wonky, and recently dry, dry, dry, spring weather. (Man, all this rain today could be fantastic!)
One of the cool things (cool, being used loosely here) about farmers’ markets is how you can get into a groove through the year. You know when certain fruits and veggies will be picked, you can tell when something’s been harvested or a herd of animals has been made into tasty cuts(sorry, vegetarians). You also get excited, especially in summer months, when the asparagus, berries or tomatoes hit town.
No festival too small
Shopping: Turkish style
The colours and culture of Turkey were on display this weekend.
While on my usual trek to the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market Saturday I stumbled into one of Edmonton’s smaller festivals.
The Edmonton Turkish Festival took over Dr. Wilbert McIntyre Park for the weekend.
Like any good festival celebrating ethnic or geographic heritage, there was food, music, dance, crafts, jewelry and other goods to introduce everyday Edmontonians to Turkish culture.
You got to take the cup and saucer home!
While enjoying my kebab and my Turkish coffee* (I would have chosen a fruit-less and slightly more manly tiny cup had I known you got to take it home) I wondered if Edmonton even had a large Turkish population.
Uh…we do not. According to the 2006 Census just 1,250 people describe themselves as being Edmontonians of Turkish descent. So good for those guys for throwing together a yearly festival!
We’ve got lots of parks, a short summer worth jamming festivals into and lots of proud Edmontonians willing to share their history and delicacies (I’m looking at you, tiny coffee) with us. Just enjoy.
I hope the Edmonton Turkish Festival is back next year. I want a complete set of tiny coffee cups.
Collect the whole set.
*the Turkish Coffee was strong, sweet and just delicious
A “Shell” of Itself
This old Shell station is being ripped up.
Who’s noticed the bulldozers ripping things up on Whyte Avenue at 100 Street?
We did. The disappearance of Platz Shell Service (9950 82 Avenue) was reported by the edmontonian one week ago. After closing up the station a final time, June 15, the Platz crew packed up the service side of things and headed over to the Ottewell neighbourhood…and that leaves a gas station to be disposed of.
Shirley Lowe, president of the Old Strathcona Business Association is waiting to see what’s going to happen to the site.
This lot at 105 and Whyte has been empty for a decade. (Thx JP!)
Whyte Avenue already has an empty lot. The contaminated Esso site at Whyte and 105 Street is now in its second decade of vacancy.
In an e-mail, Lowe says the fate of Whyte and 100 Street remains to be seen.
“How badly contaminated is this (Platz location) and does Shell care?”
“Is the remediation requirement a residential standard?” she asks. “If so, this can be rezoned.”
Underground fuel tanks need to be dug up.
The site remains under ownership of Shell Canada Limited, and there are no solid plans for the property.
Meanwhile, work has begun on removing the station’s underground fuel tanks.
Senior Communications Representative, Jackie Panera, tells the edmontonian they don’t know what the remedy for the abandoned gas station is.
“We are still determining the long-term future of the site and if we are going to sell the property,” Panera writes in an e-mail. “Since we have not determined what we are going to do long-term with the property, we don’t have timelines to share with you today on remediation plans.”
The Shell rep notes the company is monitoring its tanks for leakage during the removal process, as per Alberta Environment requirements.
So, just to recap: Shell is deciding whether they’ll build anew or sell the property. For the moment though, it looks like people living and visiting Old Strathcona may want to get used to looking at another empty lot.
We have a winner!
This robot likes to party on Whyte.
This image of Xeldon, the “Telus repairman of the future,” can be found in the window of the old Edmonton Telephone Historical Centre (Telus), on 83 Avenue, between 104 and 105 Streets.
Congratulations to Deja Springfield for being first with the answer. We’ll be by with your Greenwoods’ gift certificate, and for your wacky winner’s photo, soon.
Also fun, you can find more Xeldon at his new home, the Prince of Wales Armoury (10440 108 Avenue), where he’ll tell you about the history (and future?) of the telephone in Edmonton.
Thanks for testing your Edmonton knowledge with the edmontonian. We would have also accepted an answer of Xeldon being in “2003.”
It’s a contest. So win already.
You can win!
It’s time to test your knowledge of Edmonton.
The reward will be the right to brag about how you know more about Edmonton then the rest of us. And there’s a $25 gift certificate from local book experts “Greenwoods’ Bookshoppe.” Books go great with sunny weekends in a lawn chair.
Ready? Then let’s do this thing!
Somewhere in the city you’ll find this fellow.
Where is he?
You’ve seen the robot. Now, the first person to e-mail us at info@theedmontonian.com and tell us where to find him wins that $25 gift certificate from Greenwoods’ Bookshoppe.
Please don’t give away the location in the comments, it’s a contest after all. But feel free to make hilarious remarks.
(In order to win you should be ready to pose for an awkward winner’s photo.)
Blog du Jour: Edmontonian at Large
I’m going to sound like a total pretentious douche when I say that I find this site, Edmontonian at Large, to be incredibly charming – but I do, so live with it. LIVE WITH MY DOUCHEBAGGERY.
Even though it’s a little out of date (it hasn’t been updated in about 6 months), I’m passing this URL out to everybody I know, because it has brought me endless amusement over the last week. Now join me, won’t you, for a tour of Edmontonian at Large.
Our hero, blog authour James from Nova Scotia, takes walking tours of a variety of Edmonton neighbourhoods and chronicles his adventures with photographs. Granted, it’s not exactly an action film or anything; James from Nova Scotia isn’t going all Erin Brockovich and digging up neighbourhood secrets, but it’s fun to see his pictures, and it’s a refreshing change to read about someone showing such genuine, unbridled appreciation for the simpler things in life. James from Nova Scotia friggin’ loves Edmonton! And he wants you to love it as well!
My favorite part of the whole thing was how I found myself nerding out when James hit neighbourhoods that I frequent, like Allendale or Abbottsfield: “I’ve been to that Zellers! I bought a coffeemaker there!” “I’ve been to the Albert’s Family Restaurant in that stripmall! It was no Smitty’s (that one’s just for you, @SmittysEdmonton), but it was alright!”
Anyway, take a moment out of your busy work day (I know you’re not working, citizens of the Internet) and check out Edmontonian at Large. Maybe if we flood the site with love, we can get James from Nova Scotia to do a few more tours.
North- SIIIIDE!
Just had to share this: a great photo of downtown, taken from Ada Blvd. Thanks Lorraine!
The Summer of Infrastructure
Ugh. I know it’ll all pay off eventually, but doesn’t it always feel like every major thoroughfare in the city gets fixed at once? I thought I was the only one wanting to punch someone in the face from the backlog of traffic in my ‘hood (they’re ripping up parts of both Whyte and 99th respectively); but it turns out they’re dealing with it up in Beverly as well.
This photo comes from Lorraine, who says optimistically, “These pictures are of the road work on 118 Ave. from 50 St. – 42 St. Despite all the mess, crisp, new white sidewalks are starting to grow from the rubble.”
Hmm… okay, glass half full, you may have a point there. Despite the inconvenience, soon Widynowski’s Sausage House (& neighbourhood) will be shining like a bright, new (albeit sausage-y) diamond. Let’s try to remember that next time we’re stuck in traffic, people.
Whyte Avenue’s Empty Lots
This lot at 99 and Whyte has been empty for a decade.
Since I first moved to Edmonton there’s been this big empty lot at the corner of 82 Avenue and 105 Street. It used to be a gas station.
The old gas tanks left a lot of contamination in the soil and so it continues to sit, the underground being cleaned by Imperial Oil (Esso), and will likely remain a fenced-in field for years to come. What an eyesore in the city’s showcase neighbourhood.
(For a thorough rundown check out this 2006 story from Vue Weekly.)
Former Platz Shell now a shell of itself.
Now a second gas station on Whyte Avenue is closed up and I dread a new empty lot will take its place. Platz Shell Service (9950 82 Avenue) has moved on. The crew picked up and headed up to the Ottewell neighbourhood.
A thought did strike me, however, as I pondered the other two gas stations on Whyte (an Esso at 99 Street and another at 109 Street). If the future is going to include more mass transit (and I think it should) and walkable neighbourhoods such as Old Strathcona, aren’t we going to see more empty lots where gas stations once sat?
Let’s hope they aren’t all as dirty as the one entering its second decade of decontamination.
Gone are the days of full service.
