Community Garden Opens in Alex Decoteau Park

June 17, 2018May 20, 2021 Lincoln Ho Alex Decoteau Park, City of Edmonton, Decoteau LRT, downtown, LRT, park, parks, tram, Valley Line

Edmonton’s newest downtown park just opened its newest addition of a community garden. On May 5th, the gardeners with selected plots gathered together for the celebration. Thirty-three were selected for plots on the site, which included some organizations such as Homeward Trust, whose office is located beside the park.

The gathering began with acknowledgement of Treaty 6, orientation of the site, and some input on what the stakeholders this year would like to see the garden become.

Alex Decoteau park, located on the northwest corner of 102 Av and 105 St, opened in September 2017. The location was previously a parking lot and was acclaimed to be the beginning of a new green revival in downtown Edmonton, reclaiming surface lots for much more pedestrian-friendly parks.

Hanratty Park before being renovated and reopened as TELUS Park.

The city boasts the park as the first new park in downtown Edmonton in the last 30 years, but we think that may be disputed. Hanratty Park was reopened as TELUS Park at ATB Place after a complete modernization of the space. Abbey Glen Park (which formerly had a sign for Abbey Lane Park) was never utilized as a park until Occupy Edmonton began to tent out on the space.

A sign for Abbey Lane Park was put up after Occupy Edmonton. It was renamed to Abbey Glen Park shortly after.

Reused parks aside, two high profile park spaces have also opened up prior to Alex Decoteau Park. Michael Phair Park, which had a stint as the Alley of Light, officially opened in May 2016, taking up the space of a former alley way. The park space adjacent to MacEwan LRT Station is unnamed, but serves as a space for pedestrians and those heading in and out of Rogers Place arena.

The City of Edmonton recently released a 360 animated rendered video of the proposed Valley Line tram station to stop ‘Decoteau’ on the south edge of the park, further boosting its name. This, may serve to be confusing in the near future, as the southwest rural reserve also named Decoteau, will be developing as the next mega residential community in Edmonton. Undoubtedly, a south extension of Valley Line from Mill Woods station will mean the tram will be servicing both Decoteau community, and Alex Decoteau Park, half the city apart.

Alex Decoteau was the first indigenous police officer in Edmonton. He was also a celebrated athlete in Canada.

Alex Decoteau Park officially opened September 2017.

Lincoln Ho | Yegventures staff