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
Community mourns victims of fatal boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
The three people killed in last weekend's tragic collision between a speedboat and a fishing boat north of Kingston are being remembered Friday.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
Public safety minister pledges to 'massively' reduce auto theft
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc insists the federal government is 'doing everything (it) can' to eliminate auto thefts in Canada, and he hopes to see 'a significant reduction quickly' following this week's announcement of new measures to counter the problem.
American Airlines drops law firm that said a 9-year-old girl should have seen camera on toilet seat
American Airlines has replaced the law firm that told a judge a nine-year-old girl was negligent in not noticing there was a camera phone taped to the seat in an airplane lavatory.
Three dead after vehicle leaves road in Shediac: N.B. RCMP
Three people have died after a vehicle veered off the road in Shediac N.B., Friday morning.
More enoki mushrooms, Lamborghini Urus and promotionally-gifted tumbler cups: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada, Transport Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued various recalls this week. Here's what you need to know.
A woman took her dog to a shelter to be euthanized. A year later, the dog is up for adoption again
Exhausted and short on options after consulting two veterinary clinics, Kristie Pereira made the gut-wrenching decision last year to take her desperately ill puppy to a Maryland shelter to be euthanized.
1 dead, 3 in hospital after flying wheel crashes into bus windshield on QEW
A man is dead, and three others are in hospital after a flying wheel crashed into a coach bus on the QEW in St. Catharines.