Why is it that I still hear people talk in disparaging terms about the city of Edmonton? After all it has the Edmonton Eskimos, the Winspear Centre, the Jubilee Auditorium, a new Royal Alberta Museum, the University of Alberta and as perhaps its greatest asset — the Saskatchewan River and the Valley it has carved over the eons…

I only wish that Penticton could emulate Edmonton in the vision that many City Councils in Edmonton have put into reality. The Valley is a criss-cross of walking paths, bike trails, animal walks, picnic tables, resting benches, hiking places through woods, over open meadows, along watercourses, even pedestrian bridges across the river itself. A person can literally follow a different route every day and not run out of variations after an entire season.

And all these options are utilized. Last evening at about 8:00 p.m. I drove through the mega-park (built in an old used-up gravel pit and named after a mayor from the 50’s/60’s: Hawreluk) and every picnic area was being used, and all the fire boxes were also in use for bbq’s or just the enjoyment of watching the quiet flames. Kids were playing everywhere on the massive lawns, young adults were playing badminton on make-shift grass courts, older folk were taking strolls, cyclists and runners were circling the perimeter on the broad roadways. The place was alive. It validates the “Field of Dreams” dictum: “If you build it, they will come!” And this isn’t the only park in the city — the city is full of them. Many along the river, but most scattered through residential and business sections — some quite small, only a few lots, others quite large containing playing fields alongside picnic areas, and some catering to special interests.

It is easy to see how Edmonton can recruit hi-tech people, manufacturing companies, academics and quality government workers: they not only have good working sites, they have myriads of places to play, to relax, to gather with friends… and that is outside all the patio pubs and restaurants, arts and sports facilities, and other normal attractions every progressive city has!! It obviously happens because people in power were not afraid to act on the vision upon which the people elected them. Want to be a true city of the people, for the people and to the people? Go study the city of Edmonton and while there, if it is summer you might also catch a performance of their theatre in the park or an Edmonton Eskimo CFL game. If it is autumn, good football will also be on including CFL, Junior (Wildcats or Huskies) and/or University (UofA). But come in any season and you find some restorative moments in any one of their parks — ’cause they’re everywhere…

g.w.