EDMONTON – City council is dipping its toes into the possibility of building a beach along the North Saskatchewan.
Some councillors believe the city needs to take more advantage of the river by having a beach play area.
“Why would we not look at possibilities where we have a great river,” said councillor Amarjeet Sohi. “We have a great River Valley, and there are options we could explore. And that’s all we want to do.”
But there are some hurdles. A beach would have to be built away from the river bank due, in part, to concerns of sand washing away.
A beach would also not necessarily mean access to the river for swimming because of safety concerns involving water quality, the river’s flow, as well as debris.
“We can’t encourage use that another form of government has regulations over, without understanding what exactly is required. So, that’s what complicates it,” explained General Manager of Community Services, Linda Cochrane.
The debate comes as the city continues to explore a beach option in Hawrelak Park. City staff are working on new cost estimates after the mayor was baffled at the initial $60 million dollar price tag.
But some, like councillor Kim Krushell, wonder how many beaches the city really needs.
“I certainly think we need to pick a spot and really focus our dollars, so that we make sure we get a decent water feature for kids to play in and enjoy. To experience some sand would be nice,” she said.
“At this time, all we’re doing is exploring options,” said Sohi, “so that Edmontonians can enjoy the river, they can enjoy the River Valley.”
Krushell added that there’s nothing wrong with putting the ideas forward, as that’s what committee meetings are for.
As details are refined, councillors will determine what can be built and where with the limited resources available.
According to a city report, there are three urban beaches in Canada – two in Toronto, and one in Montreal. None of those beaches support swimming in adjacent rivers.
With files from Vinesh Pratap, Global News
Comments