Fort Edmonton Park unveils new revitalization plans

[jagators63]

there is good news about Fort Edmonton Park


http://edmonton.ctv.ca/servlet/an/lo...9?hub=Edmonton

[desconocido]

The city runs a lot of neat tourist / family attractions that I think are often underrated - it would be great to see more people get out and use these facilities. Hopefully the revitalization helps with that.

[GreenSPACE]

I love Fort Edmonton Park already, so anything else they do to improve it is a bonus I think

[Komrade]

Sounds great! It seems they are listening to the cries of keeping it historicaly sound rather than fancy screens and robots?

I love fort edmonton park. Selkirk is a hidden gem!

[rime ice]

My own personal wish is it to have a Granville island appeal.
Not everyones vision, but that my.02 cents.

[andy8244]

Generally speaking in most places historic buildings are left in-situ as part of the fabric and identity of the city. I love how Edmonton considers an "old building zoo" the way to go.

[moahunter]

^it works here because most of the buildings aren't worth preserving. Sort of like a garbage dump for buildings, turned into an attractive tourist resort, Fort Edmonton Park rocks.

[Old Dawg]

It needs a bar and night club.

[desconocido]

Originally Posted by Old Dawg

It needs a bar and night club.

In keeping with the times they have a saloon ...

[cnr67]

Some time ago, the Radial Railway guys secured the Jasper avenue bridge to extend the line outside the park over the Whitemud creek. I'd love to see Fort Edmonton and The valley zoo linked with a streetcar. Yes, I'm a dreamer!

[fool4christ]

What this city badly needs is more dreamers like you bud. Seriously...that would rock.

[Doug]

Fort Edmonton park is great, any additional attractions would or upgrades would add to it's charm.

[Bray88]

Originally Posted by rime ice

My own personal wish is it to have a Granville island appeal.
Not everyones vision, but that my.02 cents.

For that to work you would need a public market in fort edmonton park as well as alot more restaurants and shops, maybe a big park with a man made lake would help too for this vision to make it more like granville

[booster]

One simple thing would help alot to achieve their increased numbers that they want. Direct bus to Fort Edmonton from South Campus every day from when the season opens, runs starting before opening time to closing time so you can get staff as well as regular people the ability to get to the front door. Right now it is a rubber tire market attraction and sadly Edmonton does not have a bike rental shop. It is currently a bus to Fox Drive and about a km to the front gates. Not exactly welcoming and accessible.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/...023/story.html

Here are some of the other suggestions contained in the current report:
• Move guest services, admission and the gift shop out of the train station so they’re more accessible, and provide more room in the station.
• Expand the midway, adding more historically accurate rides and attractions, such as a tethered helium balloon ride, a corn or hay-bay maze and a double ferris wheel.
• Build an events field where period sporting events can be recreated. Nearby, a sportsman’s lodge would pay tribute to the city’s historic sports heroes and offer food services.
• Add new dining, shopping and entertainment venues that would let people “experience what it was like to go out for dinner in 1920s Edmonton or visit one of the city’s thriving theatres.”
• Expand the Selkirk Hotel to include a conference centre, banquet facilities and meeting space.
• Build rustic summer cabins by the hotel.
• Create an Aviation Garden containing a replica of bush pilot Wop May’s Avro Avian airplane adjacent to a fountain square, which would be converted for skating in winter.
• Reconstruct the Capitol Theatre to house a multimedia retelling of Edmonton’s history “through the eyes of some of its most colourful characters.”
• Recreate the Sing Lee Laundry, telling the story of the Chinese men who moved to the city.
• Create a “historium” in Kelly’s Saloon that would include audio-visual materials, artifacts and live interpreters to show “the lively world of Edmonton’s early hotels.”
• Add a “Spirit of the First Nations” celebration of aboriginal culture that would be “something symbolic and culturally appropriate” rather than a building.
• Install a wooden pier that would offer a close-up view of the York boat.
• Add a Frontier Path for interactive walks with interpretive programming.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

http://www.fortedmontonpark.ca/pages...lanUpdate.aspx

[The_Cat]

Do you think a hockey pond inside the Fort would provide a greater benefit?

Just kidding. I think that the plans for Fort Edmonton look great!

[Medwards]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

http://www.fortedmontonpark.ca/pages...lanUpdate.aspx

1885 Street – In 1885, Edmonton was dusty or muddy, depending on the season

Not much has changed since...except now we have mcdonalds burger containers and tim horton cups to add in with the sand and mud that make spring so enjoyable in Edmonton

[KC]

I've complained about this for years - Fort Edmonton has always lacked decent signage. It's literally a hidden gem.

For decades a huge number of potential visitors probably drove right past it not knowing it was there! I'd bet that the lack of good signage has been a huge opportunity cost over the years and now with tourist traffic taking the Anthony Henday much of that potential is lost forever.

[KC]

Originally Posted by moahunter

^it works here because most of the buildings aren't worth preserving. Sort of like a garbage dump for buildings, turned into an attractive tourist resort, Fort Edmonton Park rocks.

Id say it's not that they weren't worth preserving but rather that most things are discarded, demolished or allowed to decay before its realized that they were worth preserving.

It's a problem with how people place value on things. Essentially, their 'present value' / 'future value' estimates are skewed - even knowingly.

i.e. using something more people can relate to than heritage and tourism - consider oil - even those that believe it will be worth a LOT more in the future seem unwilling to lock in the resource until that time when our kids might realize far, far higher present value and possibly even critical utility.

[Old Dawg]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/...023/story.html

The Strand and or the Empress theaters would more accurately depict the early years of the city. The Capital was art deco bush.