City staff have been instructed to find out how much it will cost to build a pedestrian walkway over Ray Gibbon Drive, one that a local business owner thinks could be the keystone to future tourism in St. Albert.
The pedestrian walkway, or pedway, would straddle Ray Gibbon Drive near the future LeClair Way, effectively linking Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park with the Red Willow Park trail system and future Rotary Park.
Bill Hole, co-owner of Hole’s Greenhouse and Gardens, believes the link would make it easier for tourists to enjoy a wetland interpretive centre planned for the park, the city’s trail system and the new Hole’s retail site in South Riel.
“If this all happens — if they get the pedway, we complete our project, the interpretive centre goes there, [then] there isn’t anything else in Canada like it,” said Hole. “Now St. Albert truly has something very, very unique that will bring tourists.”
Hole, who expects construction to begin on the new Hole’s site in 10 days, said the walkway could create a host of opportunities for his business and others.
Already, he envisions a bike rental program where the trail system is used to ferry people to and from Hole’s to downtown and the interpretive centre.
But before all that can happen the city needs to figure out how much the walkway would cost.
Neil Jamieson, head of planning and engineering, says the project has been discussed before.
“It’s been talked about back and forth but this is the first time we’ve been instructed to prepare a business case for council,” Jamieson said.
The pedestrian crossing in South Riel was estimated to cost between $2 million and $3 million when it was proposed to council in 2006.
At the time, council held off on the project deeming it unsafe until that portion of Ray Gibbon Drive was completed.
Since then, Red Willow Park trail users have been left with only one option to cross Ray Gibbon Drive, a bridge underpass, in an area that is often frozen in the winter or flooded in the spring.
Jamieson said it’s too early to say how much a revised walkway would cost, or if it would be built to span the existing two lanes of Ray Gibbon Drive or the future eight lanes that are planned.
Mayor Nolan Crouse hopes an agreement can be reached between the city, the province and Hole’s.
“There’s a business case being put forward which is going to be an agreement, hopefully a long-term agreement, between Hole’s and the city and the province,” said Crouse.
Hole said he’s willing to raise the property base at the new Hole’s a metre to accommodate a necessary retaining wall if the $250,000 the province then saves on the retaining wall is put toward the walkway.
Coun. Len Bracko said it’s still too early to say whether or not council would approve the walkway, but the frequent trail-user said it would be an asset.
“It would be excellent,” said Bracko, who’s also chair of the Big Lake Task Force.
“Hole’s would be a tourist attraction as well as a regional attraction and will attract people to St. Albert as well as the park … we have tremendous potential.”
