What is Millennium Park?
Millennium Park was first proposed in 2016, as a concept for an open public space able to host a range of community events. The original 2018 plan for the park, which can be viewed here (on page 28), originally envisioned a park that would exist in concert with the existing landscape features and hydrology. The plan proposed in 2023 featured dramatic revisions to the original concept.
What's the problem?
Cost
To finance this project, the borrowing bylaw to approve $20.8 million in debt has passed its first reading.
Lack of Consultation
Council made no motion to include the taxpaying citizens of St. Albert in this decision to borrow $20.8 million for another park.
Environmental
Degradation
Removing 56% of the wetland and upland forest would not only destroy the integrity of this 100 year old forest, but is also extremely expensive to undertake. The cited reason for the removal of the trees is to "provide a view of the river".
The original 2018 plan included a public consultation section, but the 2023 plan did not.
The bylaw has yet to go to its second and third reading. The second reading will occur on April 1st, 2024.
Who are we?
This initiative was started by lifelong St. Albert resident, Ciara Fraser. She graduated from St. Albert Catholic High School, and went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from The King's University. She now works for a registered charity in Edmonton, and has a deep love for the natural spaces in and around the city of St. Albert.
When she read the most recent proposal for Millennium Park, she was spurred to action by the lack of foresight demonstrated in the plans. She understands that concern about this project is multi-faceted, and though her background is informed by her education and work in conservation, she also feels strongly about the financial and accountability issues that the borrowing bylaw - and Millennium Park - present to the citizens of St. Albert.
Ciara will personally be overseeing the petition effort, and is sincerely hopeful that council will give the residents of St. Albert the chance to put this matter to a vote.
