Golden shovels break ground for 6-year Valley Line West construction
Ground was officially broken on Edmonton's Valley Line West LRT route on Friday.
More of a photo opportunity than true start of the project's construction, the groundbreaking was mostly a celebration of the work that started more than a decade ago to bring west Edmontonians' wish for better rail transit to fruition.
"I've been attending the meetings as someone who lives right on the route since 2007 and it's exciting," said an emotional Andrew Knack, who serves the Nakota Isga Ward in west Edmonton and the city's transit system advisory board.
"I love our bus system. It's great. I took it to get here, that's why I'm late – sorry, everyone," he continued. "It was a great example of why – I'm not late because of the buses, I'm late because of how it's designed. So if you think about the LRT, it's going to have that designated right of way that allows residents from here to get into the downtown, to get into other parts of the city, quicker than any other method of transportation."
The 14-kilometre line will run from 102 Street near Churchill Square to Lewis Farms, with 14 stops along the way, including at West Edmonton Mall and Misericordia Hospital.
Most of the route will be street level – for greater accessibility, city officials say – except at the hospital and mall.
"I don't think there is a modern city in the 21st century without this kind of fixed rail transit, and I think that it says a lot about the long-term vision of this city and the folks who help run it that saw that, and the residents of this city who see that," added Ward sipiwiyiniwak councillor Sarah Hamilton.
Construction is expected to continue into 2027, although the head of the city's building department cautioned projects of this magnitude often run into challenges.
"We need to be prepared and manage expectations with Edmontonians that if something does happen, we'll do our best to resolve it," Adam Laughlin told reporters on Friday.
Members of all three levels of government took part in the event: Edmonton-Centre MP Randy Boissonnault, Alberta Transportation Minister Rajan Sawhney, and Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi.
The City of Edmonton received $948.5 million from the federal government and $1.04 billion from the provincial government for the roughly $2.7-billion expansion.
Marigold Infrastructure Partners will build the line.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
NEW 'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Canadian couple among tourists on sinking sailing boat tour abroad
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their “extremely dangerous” experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
An Ontario senior called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Accused of burglary at stepmother's home, U.S. senator says she wanted her father's ashes: charges
A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother's home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.