St. Albert’s Grey Nuns White Spruce Park is getting a federal cash injection to help complete ongoing renovations.
Last week, the city announced they received $750,000 in federal funding to assist in the advancement of the park's construction.
Ken MacKay, St. Albert's deputy mayor for July, said the funding will help connect the trail system and increase accessibility to more residents. Mayor Cathy Heron wasn't available for an interview.
“It's very exciting to see some of the special features that this trail system will have,” MacKay said.
It's key to recognize and maintain the historical importance of the Grey Nuns White Spruce Forest, which is an ecologically sensitive area, MacKay said.
“We have to walk a fairly fine line as to how we bring visitors into the park so that they can still use the park, use the connectivity with other trails, but also maintain the environmental sensitivities of it and protection of those areas.”
The park, which sits east of Ray Gibbon Drive, is home to many trees that are more than 100 years old, as well as many animals.
The total price tag for the project is $3.2 million, funding that will help bring new amenities to the park such as two new outdoor classrooms with artist-designed spaces for kids to use.
Construction started in October 2021 and since then several of the footpaths have been converted to wood-chip paths to control the weeds and reduce erosion. Two new boardwalks have been installed in several parts of the forest that are more prone to flooding, which will allow visitors to enjoy the space when the weather is wetter.
There will also be a picnic shelter and a small nature play area where visitors can climb, balance, and explore all-natural material play structures. An accessible and bicycle-friendly multi-use trail will wrap around the outside of the forest.
Additionally, an asphalt trail will be installed to the north, east, and south ends of the park, as well as several other gravel trails for visitors to use.
The park is currently closed for construction until fall of 2022, and the city asks residents not to enter the park at this time due to safety hazards.
When council first started building the park, they had applied for grants and hoped to get them, but weren’t certain the money would come through.
“That $750,000 is a big help,” MacKay said.
The park will aid in joining up the entire Red Willow Trail System, MacKay said.
“It will actually connect the trail system … into Big Lake or another access point. It allows us to basically connect over into Lois Hole Park indirectly,” MacKay said.
Trails and parks are important to the community, the deputy mayor said, and the new park will help preserve and protect nature in the city.
“It also educates residents, and the environment is extremely important to most people now and it's always been very important to our residents,” MacKay said.
The grant funding is through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF), a two-year, $500-million national infrastructure program to support communities across the country with projects that revitalize downtown cores and main streets, reinvent outdoor spaces, create green infrastructure, and address accessibility of community space.
Park construction is slated to wrap in fall of 2022.
