Maintaining Edmonton's river valley trails will cost millions, report shows

The city is looking to spend millions of dollars in the next few years to improve and maintain the trail system in Edmonton's ravines and river valley.

A report in front of executive committee Tuesday shows the city needs to spend $1.5 million to $3.5 million a year to rehabilitate the 180 kilometres of trails in the river valley and ravines between 2019 and 2022.

"As the river valley and ravine system is ever-changing, trails in these areas are more vulnerable to the potential adverse impacts arising from flooding, erosion and instability," a city report said, adding that degradation can range from "minor distresses" to "more extensive failures, undermining and damage."

Mayor Don Iveson said the recommended spending is necessary.

"Ultimately we're going to have to invest if we want to have these trails into the future,"Iveson said.

"I've neverever heard an Edmontonian suggest that we should short-change ourselves when it comes to the accessibility and also the safety of the river valley."

The suggested spending would go toward improving granular, asphalt and concrete surface trails wider than 1.5 metres and maintained by the city.

Natural, narrow trails are not included in the report's plan to rehabilitate the system.

Charles Richmond with the Sierra Club Canada wants to make sure the upgrades include making the trails more accessible for people with disabilities.

"Whether it's drinking fountains or trails or picnic tables," Richmond said Tuesday.

"We think it's so important for everyone to have access to nature."

Sierra Club is working with the federal government to improve accessibility in parks.

"Just as with the roads, you can't repave them all in one year," Iveson said. "We're going to have to attack it systematically."

Climate change, freeze-thaw cycles and flooding affect the state of the trails, which were developed 30 to 40 years ago, the mayor said.

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Some pathways are so deteriorated the trails are closed.

City council asked for the report in August2016 to outline options to mitigate future trail degradation.

Councillorson Tuesday asked staff to look at incorporating the trail rehabilitation spendingintothe 2019-2022 four-year capital budget.

The city is also looking to expand the trail network to include the southwest and northeast areas of the river valley.

Iveson also said councillors will talk Wednesday about creating new beaches. An accidental beachappeared this summer along the riverside in Cloverdale, attracting thousands of visitors but without services to accommodate them.

"I don't think it was a positive experience in the end for a lot of people who live in Cloverdale to have that particular beach there," Iveson said.

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There may be other places in the river that would be better for a beach, he said,"[To] at least manage temporary washroom facilities, or ultimately build or leverage some existing washroom facilities."