Drinks outside on Rice Howard Way? Council to review proposal next month
Edmonton could have a downtown outdoor entertainment district as soon as June 1.
If approved, Rice Howard Way — located just off Jasper Avenue between 100 and 101 Street — would become a pedestrian-only zone on Saturdays from June to August.
People would be allowed to drink alcohol in the district as long as it's purchased from businesses in the area.
Rice Howard Way was selected because of its walkability, low traffic, and number of bars and restaurants.
"We're super excited about the entertainment districts. We've seen this in other cities and it works really well," Downtown Business Association Executive Director Puneeta McBryan said. "People always reference European cities…you should be able to just have a glass of wine or a beer and stroll around and put up seats in the street and kind of treat it more like a plaza.
"It's shown to attract a lot of people and make a really big difference on things like vibrancy and safety and it's good for the local economy."
Streets would remain open to traffic at the 100A Street intersection for parkade access.
McBryan said Rice Howard Way works well because it has businesses and not many residents, but added 104 Street is also under consideration.
"This is really just hopefully a gradual move toward more relaxed, less fences, less red tape, let's just open up the street and have great events there, whenever it makes sense."
A proposal will go to city council next month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hackers release corporate data stolen from London Drugs
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
McDavid scores in 2OT to lift Oilers over Stars in West Final opener
Connor McDavid tipped Evan Bouchard's shot from the boards past Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger 32 seconds into the second overtime to give the Edmonton Oilers a 3-2 win in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final..
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
What is 'slapped cheek disease' and should parents be concerned?
Despite its rough name, experts say most cases of 'slapped cheek disease' are mild and not a cause for concern.
American Airlines retreats after blaming a 9-year-old for not seeing a hidden camera in a lavatory
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.
Unknown Newfoundland soldier from the First World War heads back home from France after 100 years
Canadian soldiers and government officials arrived in northeastern France this week for a historic mission: returning an unknown Newfoundland soldier back home.
Calgary Philharmonic takes action following investigation into 'deeply troubling' comments by 2 musicians
The Calgary Philharmonic has confirmed its taking action after controversial online comments made by two members of the orchestra.