Edmonton plows ahead with riverside beach proposal

EDMONTON – Downtown Edmonton could soon have its own beach after councillors enthusiastically endorsed the concept of a sandy play area beside the river in Louise McKinney Park.

The 420-square-metre “urban beach” east of the Shaw Conference Centre would be aimed at lounging rather than swimming, because officials can’t control the safety or quality of the North Saskatchewan River, said Lyall Brenneis, manager of the community strategies and development branch.

“It’s really about a sand experience, a sunbather experience, not a water experience.”

The city is already looking at constructing a water park or spray area in Hawrelak Park aimed mostly at children, Brenneis said.

The Louise McKinney beach, near the existing concession building, would feature chairs, umbrellas, a misting machine or shower, and a sloped grass sitting space beside a restaurant and patio likely to be constructed in 2014.

A “grand staircase” is also in the works to come down the bank nearby.

While too little research has been done to determine costs yet, sandy spaces are popular in Europe and elsewhere in North America, Brenneis said.

Canadian examples include Clock Tower Beach in Montreal’s Old Port and Toronto’s Sugar Beach, a converted parking lot 20 times larger than Edmonton’s proposal in a former harbour front industrial area.

“They’re on the waterfront, they have a misting station to cool off, they’re in heavily populated areas,” Brenneis said.

A report with more information due Sept. 10 will outline price estimates, including the cost of building something larger than the initial suggestion.

Sites in Rundle Park and Government House Park were considered, but Louise McKinney is more central, has washrooms and other services along with barriers to the river, and provides an excellent view, Brenneis said.

He suggested development might have to wait until at least 2015, but Coun. Don Iveson hopes the project can go ahead next year.

“I think it’s a neat idea,” Iveson said. “I don’t think it’s going to cost very much money, but we will find out this fall what it might actually cost to dip our toe in the sand.”

He thinks the idea will be attractive to people across the city.

“Families are looking for opportunities to be outside and to have that opportunity to be near the water … Louise McKinney is becoming a wonderful park, but it doesn’t have much for families.”

Coun. Amarjeet Sohi, who proposed the idea last year after seeing people enjoying a beach in Saskatoon beside the South Saskatchewan River, is glad the project has found support.

“I would really encourage that we move forward on this,” Sohi said. “I think this will bring more people to the park and provide them with more experiences. It won’t cost tons of money.”

But there won’t be a water play feature or foot-washing station, despite Coun. Bryan Anderson’s suggestion that this would help any junior engineers in the crowd.

“There’s nothing worse than trying to build a sand castle with dry sand.”