Come October, the fences are set to come down around Lynnview Ridge, a neighbourhood in Calgary’s southeast abandoned by more than 100 families nearly 20 years ago.
“It was pretty stressful, there was a lot for people to examine,” long-time resident Tim Mather said. “Lead is not good for children, it’s very detrimental for children growing up.”
In 2001, officials discovered hydrocarbons and lead were leaching into Lynnview Ridge. Imperial Oil bought more than 140 homes and demolished them.
Mather is among a handful of homeowners who refused to sell their homes to Imperial Oil.
“I had a very strong Christian belief that if the right work was put in, that the right answer could come out of a bad situation.”
Now decades later, Lynnview Ridge and the green space below the neighbourhood, called Beaverdam Flats and Old Refinery Park, is set to reopen in October.
“I think the intention of the community is that it becomes a real kind of crown jewel in their great park system,” Ward 9 Councillor Gian-Carlo Carra said.
The pathway system will reopen mid-May for people to enjoy the park space but fences will still be up.
There are also big plans for the area with the construction of the Green Line LRT project.
“We’re going to be bringing the green line through there and that opens up a huge green park regional landscape to an LRT, which is a very unique opportunity,” Carra said.
After years of uncertainty, it’s a new beginning for Mather and the others that decided to stay.
“Now it’s healthy for people to live here and enjoy the land and we’re going to end up with great park spaces the city will be proud of.”