Edmonton river valley gondola project halted by city council
Edmonton City Council decided to halt the Prairie Sky Gondola project for the time being.
On Monday, councillors voted 12-1 to receive the land agreement with the company proposing the gondola only as information and not to approve the lease of city land for the project.
Coun. Karen Principe was the lone vote against receiving the proposed Prairie Sky Gondola land agreement as information only.
Prairie Sky could revisit the proposal but would need to present additional information to mitigate councillors' concerns with the project.
The company wanted to build a 2.5-kilometre gondola from downtown to Old Strathcona, with no taxpayer money contributing to the project.
Several community members told council last week they were concerned about the project's potential impact on the river valley and land considered sacred by Indigenous Peoples at Rossdale Flats.
Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson, Prairie Sky Gondola CEO, said in a statement that the company is "not deterred" by council's decision.
"Maybe it's time The Edmonton Project is revived," Hansen-Carlson said. "The city needs more big ideas for people to believe in and more empowered city builders daring to do them.
"We're proud of what we did and we're excited to explore what we can do next."
A NEW STANDARD FOR INDIGENOUS CONSULTATION
Coun. Anne Stevenson brought forward the motion to receive the land agreement proposal as information only.
Stevenson said she was initially skeptical of the project, but came to view it as "an exciting idea" and "homegrown Edmonton initiative."
"As we've gone through this process, though, it's become apparent that there are far broader considerations and implications of this project, particularly given the Indigenous importance of the Rossdale site," she added.
After hearing from concerned community members about the history and meaning Rossdale holds to Indigenous Edmontonians, Stevenson said the city has work to do to advance reconciliation there and on other projects.
"It's incumbent upon ourselves that we hold ourselves to the same standard that we've been discussing in regards to the gondola," she said.
For Coun. Sarah Hamilton, there still remains other ways to intimately experience the city and river valley, like the High Level streetcar.
"The city doesn't need to have another infrastructure project that doesn't live up to the public's expectations, private or publicly funded," Hamilton said.
"We also, I think, have a transit system, that we are trying to bring up to public expectations, and I've always thought that, I was concerned that this (gondola) conversation detracted a little bit from the necessary improvements that we need to make to our transit system," she added.
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said there was a "lack of clarity" on the project's business case and the risks for the city, including the environmental impact on the river valley and what would happen to the gondola infrastructure if Prairie Sky went bankrupt.
"I think those could have been resolved, maybe, if we had gone to the next stage (of the project)," Sohi said. "But one thing for me is fundamental, which is a make and break on this, which is the lack of authentic engagement with Indigenous communities."
Sohi added that while the city did not grant approval for the project at this time, Edmonton is still open for business for innovative projects.
"I know a number of companies and a number of projects that have moved forward with very meaningful consultation with Indigenous communities," he said. "If somebody is thinking that meaningful consultation is a hindrance for business development, business growth, that is absolutely not the case."
"Receiving this for information provides clarity for future investments that this expectation here from Edmontonians that we want to live our value on reconciliation with Indigenous communities."
Hansen-Carlson said Prairie Sky was "unequivocally committed to Edmonton and all of its residents."
"Truth and Reconciliation are not mere words," he added. "We wholeheartedly believe those words must be a priority. And this was our intentional all along and it will be forever."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.