Downtown St. Albert will soon be a bit more bright, as city council voted to install programmable LED lighting along the front of St. Albert Place.
The lighting, which will be used to recognize special events and days throughout the year, similar to the City of Edmonton's program with the High Level Bridge, will cost $125,000 to install and about $1,000 a year to operate.
Council voted on the lights during budget deliberations on Nov. 27. The motion, put forward by Coun. Mike Killick, passed with Coun. Sheena Hughes and Coun. Natalie Joly opposed.
The one-time cost to install the lights will be funded through the city's capital reserve, and has no direct impact on next year's property tax increase.
“This would be a way that throughout the year — in particular in the long winter months — that we could recognize significant events, and we have many,” Killick said on Tuesday.
During debate, Joly said she had concerns about the city having a recognitory lighting program, namely that a significant amount of staff time would be taken up by interested community groups looking to have certain colours be shown on certain days, and that the city could open itself up to legal issues if community groups have their requests turned down.
The City of Edmonton was sued by an anti-abortion organization in 2019 after the organization's request to have the High Level Bridge be lit up with pink, blue, and white was at first accepted, and then later rejected. However, the lawsuit was dismissed in 2021 after a provincial court judge ruled in favour of the City.
Council heard on Nov. 27 the city will need to develop policies dictating how the St. Albert Place lighting is used and how applications will be handled. Those policies won't be drafted until next year, as the lighting won't be installed until either next summer or in 2025.
Joly also said she was “horrified” with the idea lighting would be installed on St. Albert Place.
“I love the idea but I hate the location,” she said. “[St. Albert Place is] a building that it is a work of art in its own right.”
“I'm a bit horrified of the thought of having these lights affixed to his work.”
In response, Killick pointed out that similar lights have been attached to many historical buildings, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Elizabeth Tower (or "Big Ben") in London.
“This proposal to put lights on St. Albert Place, I think, is well in line with many other historic sites,” he said.
“If those buildings can be done in a sympathetic way to their architecture and heritage, we can find a solution that will likewise work here for our beautiful and historic St. Albert Place.”
