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
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.