A new pavilion designed to offer Edmontonians year round enjoyment of the river valley opened its doors on Saturday.
The Victoria Park Pavilion, a $4.2 million facility funded by both the province and the City of Edmonton, contains indoor public amenities and serves as a centre for outdoor activities such as skating and skiing.
“[It] will bring warmth to our river valley,” said Mayor Don Iveson in a statement. “This new building will provide a great resting spot and facilities for everyone to enjoy the outdoors all year round.”
Rob Smyth with the City of Edmonton told CTV News the 3,300 square-foot venue will become a destination for families.
“This can be a pretty quiet park sometimes in the summer, but now with this building […] some of our registered programs will come here, so there’s going to be a lot more activity. The proximity to the [Victoria Park] golf course will be another real feature,” he said.
The pavilion boasts a geothermal heating and cooling system, designed to reduce electricity consumption by more than 60 per cent, as well as a City-funded art installation.
The Edmonton Speed Skating Association also contributed nearly $350,000 towards the project.
“This is fantastic. It’s going to be a wonderful place for our organization to gather and to train out of,” said association president Jules Chabot.
Victoria Park Pavilion is the last of five new pavilions built by the City of Edmonton – others can be found in Borden, Castle Downs, Mill Woods and John Fry Park.
