Governments of Canada, Alberta and Edmonton celebrate the opening of the Terwillegar Park Footbridge and West End Trails

EDMONTON, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Oct. 21, 2016) - Preserving, protecting and enhancing our natural landscapes while promoting regional connectivity is critical for the health and well-being of Canadians and our environment. It allows families to access parks and other amenities, share unique experiences, create fond memories and have the quality of life that Canadians want and expect.

The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Lorne Dach, MLA for Edmonton-McClung, Michael Walters, Edmonton City Councillor, and Brent Collingwood, Chair of the River Valley Alliance Advisory Committee, were in Edmonton today to participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the Terwillegar Park Footbridge and West End Trails, two initiatives that are part of the broader River Valley Alliance capital plan.

The new 262-metre long footbridge will link Terwillegar Park in the southwest to the Oleskiw trails on the north side of the North Saskatchewan River. The unique, minimalist profile of the first 'stressed ribbon' bridge in Edmonton will provide a striking river valley crossing. The footbridge will be connected to the existing river valley trail system through the recently completed West End Trails. This initiative included five kilometers of new primary (paved) and secondary (gravel) trails linking Terwillegar Park to the Fort Edmonton Footbridge north of the river and to the Anthony Henday pedestrian river crossing south of the river.

By providing access to the North Saskatchewan River Valley and developing amenities that promote an active and healthy outdoors lifestyle, the overarching River Valley Alliance Program will help to enhance the river valley, making it accessible for generations to come.

Quotes

"Funding public infrastructure is about building communities and helping people, while creating good, well-paying jobs that can help the middle class grow and prosper. As a former city councillor, I know how important the new bridge and trails are to the people of Edmonton. It is my pleasure to mark the completion of these projects. The larger River Valley Alliance Capital Program is a wonderful initiative that will improve access to the North Saskatchewan River and make our community more livable for decades to come."

The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi,

Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"The Terwillegar Park Bridge and West End Trails will help create more opportunities for families to get outside and enjoy Edmonton's parks and trails from both sides of the North Saskatchewan River. Our government is committed to moving Alberta forward by ensuring municipalities have the resources they need to build strong, dynamic communities for Alberta families. We are proud to invest in infrastructure, like this, that helps create jobs and promotes active living."

The Honourable Danielle Larivee,

Minister of Municipal Affairs

"On behalf of my City Council colleagues and the residents of Edmonton, we thank the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta and the River Valley Alliance for this investment in our river valley. The Terwillegar Park Footbridge and West End Trails allow us to continue to showcase our beautiful river valley and provide even more opportunities for citizens to enjoy one of our city's greatest assets."

Michael Walters,

Edmonton City Councillor

"The completion of the Terwillegar Park Footbridge is a milestone for the River Valley Alliance (RVA) and all our municipal partners. It represents a step in connectivity for the Capital Region River Valley Park that was envisioned in the RVA Plan of Action. And an added benefit of the design of the stressed ribbon bridge is that it is an architectural complement to the natural surroundings of the river valley."

Chris Sheard,

Chair of the River Valley Alliance Board

Quick Facts

• For the Terwillegar Pedestrian Footbridge:
  • The River Valley Alliance contributed $16.34 million sourced from:
    • The Government of Canada, which contributed $8.17 million through the 2007 Building Canada Fund - Major Infrastructure Component toward the total cost of the Terwillegar Pedestrian Footbridge.
    • The Government of Alberta, which contributed $8.17 million to this project through a grant administered by Alberta Environment and Parks.
  • The City of Edmonton contributed the remaining $8.17 million of the total cost of this $24.5 million project. The City of Edmonton funding was made up primarily of provincial Municipal Sustainability Initiative funding ($7.61 million) and a small portion of general financing and reserves ($.55 million).
• For the West End Trails:
  • The River Valley Alliance contributed $2.34 million sourced from:
    • The Government of Canada, which contributed $1.17 million through the 2007 Building Canada Fund - Major Infrastructure Component toward the total cost of the West End Trails.
    • The Government of Alberta, which contributed $1.17 million to this project through a grant administered by Alberta Environment and Parks.
  • The City of Edmonton contributed the remaining $1.17 million of the total cost of this $3.5 million project. The City of Edmonton funding was made up primarily of provincial Municipal Sustainability Initiative funding ($1.09 million) and a small portion of general financing and reserves ($.08 million).
• Overall, the federal government is contributing up to $30,000,000 through the Building Canada Fund - Major Infrastructure Component towards the River Valley Alliance Capital Program.

Associated links

Federal infrastructure investments in Alberta: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map-carte/ab-eng.html

Investing in Canada, the Government of Canada's new $120 billion infrastructure plan: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/index-eng.html

The Building Canada Fund - Major Infrastructure Component: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/prog/bcf-fcc-eng.html#mic-vgi

The New Building Canada Plan: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/nbcp-npcc-eng.html

The Government of Alberta's Municipal Sustainability Initiative: http://municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/MSI

City of Edmonton River Valley Alliance projects: edmonton.ca/rivervalleyprojects

Twitter: @INFC_eng

Web: Infrastructure Canada