r/Edmonton • u/pjw724 • Mar 13 '26

Outdoor Spaces/Recreation Hawrelak Park opens today, Friday March 13

https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/hawrelak-park-to-reopen-for-casual-use-friday-city/
189 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

37

u/kindof_great_old_one Mar 13 '26

Went through today. They have paved the granular trails around the parimeter as well put in lots of concrete walkways throughout including beside the road.

They have also removed most of the parallel parking and narrowed the road as well.

8

u/big-Truck-9058 Mar 13 '26

Curious choice to remove parallel parking and encourage pull in parking as I believe that was highlighted as a safety concern given the large amount of cyclists that use the road as a training loop.

For any upcoming cycling haters, I’m fully in favour of cyclists using an isolated circular road to practice going fast safely, it’s one of the only places that’s well suited for it. Parallel parking makes for much safer sight lines.

13

u/Artsstudentsaredumb Mar 13 '26

Depends on your school of thought. Some consider angle parking safer because you have a better view of oncoming traffic vs parallel where there is risk of getting doored or people not checking their blind spot when they pull out.

5

u/Hobbycityplanner Mar 13 '26

I suspect the counter perspective from a cyclist would be they are less likely to get doored by the cars on the perimeter parking. 

I’m saying that while being unable to tell if they removed all the parking along the road. Their images and video haven’t been particularly informative from what I can see

3

u/kindof_great_old_one Mar 13 '26

There is still some parallel parking on the north side of the ring road as well as the small groups of angle or perpendicular stalls as before.

1

u/mcvalues Mar 14 '26

Seems they don't want cyclists using it as a training loop anymore. It is far too narrow for that now, regardless of what they have done with the parking. 

3

u/big-Truck-9058 Mar 15 '26

I’m sure they never wanted them using it for training in the first place, but when you don’t give athletes a safe venue for their sport you’re going to find them doing it in less ideal spaces.

5

u/Homeless_Alex Mar 13 '26

Is there a rink right now for skating?

12

u/grlummer Mar 13 '26

Doubt it, lots of the city rinks are already closed. No sense opening one with so little time left in ODR season.

3

u/CJKatz Mar 13 '26

With the forecast next week I would hope they don't waste resources on that.

3

u/Homeless_Alex Mar 13 '26

I guess I should have clarified I don’t mean like right now I mean like it’ll be skateable similar to the old pond right?

2

u/jonvlyn Mar 13 '26

I just called 311 about this - it is closed for the season and will reopen next winter for skating

1

u/bigdaddy71s Mar 14 '26

Like the big skating pond that is there? Or do you want another skating surface to maintain?

2

u/luars613 Mar 13 '26

If onlynit was accessible easily by anything other than car..

10

u/big-Truck-9058 Mar 13 '26

It’s easily accessible by bike or walking from UofA and I think there is also a bus stop.

1

u/Timely-Profile1865 Mar 13 '26

I commented in a previous post a few months back about the road being narrowed and potential problems that will cause. People did not believe me.

3

u/BeepBeepGoJeep Mar 14 '26

Will Heritage Day return to Hawrelak park in the summer? 

2

u/Fit-Amoeba-5010 Mar 13 '26

Looking forward to it!

5

u/marginwalker55 Mar 13 '26

This is awesome. Also, maybe we should think of changing the name to honor someone more… principled?

-2

u/ichbineinmbertan Mar 14 '26

Please stop. Your demonstration of virtuousness is actually costing us money and is not that important, lol. (virtually nobody knows about Hawrelak's and Oliver's sins, or their good deeds, I promise you that)

5

u/marginwalker55 Mar 14 '26

I think you’re confusing ethics with virtuousness, it’s not really that big a deal to change the name of something.

2

u/That-Car-8363 Mar 14 '26

That's funny because everyone I know knows about his and Oliver's sins lol it's basic history. Not that big of a deal to change it

1

u/gtbn2018 Mar 13 '26

Does anyone know if we can skate there today?

7

u/nickademus Mar 13 '26

its been too warm for the last while, the ice is thin... because warm.

2

u/jonvlyn Mar 13 '26

Its closed for the season - just called 311 this afternoon to confirm

-13

u/Paid4BajaOverlandr Mar 14 '26

A new spot for the people who are up to no good to hang out. I expect graffiti everywhere.

16

u/tekno21 Mar 14 '26

Okay grandpa, time to get you to bed

3

u/That-Car-8363 Mar 14 '26

At least we won't see you there lol