Advertisement

First glimpses of Indigenous cultural attraction at Fort Edmonton Park

A birdeye's view of the Indigenous Peoples Experience at Fort Edmonton Park. Courtesy/Fort Edmonton Park

Fort Edmonton Park has released new renderings of its Indigenous Peoples Experience, one of four major projects taking place at the park.

The photos reveal a large swath of the park grounds covered with attractions and pavilions to showcase the First Nations and Métis Nation cultural heritage.

READ MORE: $45M expansion at Fort Edmonton will tell First Nations story

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Darren Dalgleish, president and CEO of the Fort Edmonton Management Company, said the attraction will be “a world class, one of a kind immersive experience.”

Story continues below advertisement
“[It] starts the story of Edmonton earlier than the park currently does,” he said.

“It’s going to bring us to pre-contact and walk all the way through the contact period and the creation of the Métis and that goes nicely into the fur trade and the Fort.”

Dalgleish said the Indigenous Peoples Experience will cost roughly $50 million, the biggest portion of the approximately $160 million that the park received from all three levels of government for  upgrades.

READ MORE: Feds chip in funds for Fort Edmonton Park year-round expansion

He said he hopes the attraction will boost attendance, attracting as many out-of-town visitors as those from the city.

The park’s other projects include expansion of the midway, upgrades to the front entry plaza and expansion of the Selkirk Hotel.

Dalgleish said gate admission to the park for the season will cease in September 2018; he said the park will still be open for rentals and banquets during renovations. It isn’t clear yet how gate admission in 2019 and 2020 will be affected.

RELATED: Fort Edmonton Park renovations to start late

The park will fully reopen in spring 2021, roughly a year behind schedule; construction on the projects was originally slated to begin in fall 2017 with completion by 2020.

Story continues below advertisement

-with files from Kirby Bourne and Emily Mertz

Sponsored content

AdChoices