Residents of Edmonton’s Allard neighbourhood were left feeling frustrated after benches and a crossing bridge were removed from their local park.
The structures were built and restored by Allard resident Chris Bonde during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID destroyed so many people mentally that it’s nice to have a place to just go and watch a beaver float down the creek,” Chris told CityNews. “So to have a place, a sanctuary, where people can go hang out, I saw value in it.”
Chris built the first bench in 2020, then added two more on hills within the park.
They were welcomed by members of the community.
“The kids love to come here and sit on the benches and look around. It’s beautiful here,” June, who lives in Allard, told CityNews.
The response was so positive that residents even sent the Bondes a gift after the first bench was built – photos of them enjoying the bench. There was even a proposal there.
“People cared about these benches,” Chris’ wife Jessica said. “They appreciated it.”
Chris and Jessica were shocked after the city removed the benches on July 21. They feel the city should have at least let the community know before taking them down.
“That was very sad,” Jessica recounted. “It was frustrating for us because we weren’t here. If we were home, we would at least went out there asking questions. Who were these hurting?”
June added: “Today was the first time I was like, ‘yeah where’s that little bench over there?’ That’s not good because this is kind of our little playground for us.”
The City of Edmonton tells CityNews the benches were removed by the developer for the public land because they were “verified as not permitted, designed or built by the city or the developer.
“Construction codes and environmental permitting requirements are in place to ensure the safety of users, the environment, durability, and to offer equitable access.”
While Jessica understands the city’s reasoning for removing them because of the lack of permits, she wants to know if anything else can take their place.
Crossing bridge removed
Meanwhile a crossing bridge over a ravine was also removed.
Chris says the crossing, which he describes as an essential connection between the Allard and Cavanagh neighbourhoods, was already there when he moved to the neighbourhood in 2016.
He says he did decide to restore the aging, and at the time unsafe bridge.
“It came with the land and whoever, the developer or the city, felt the need to take it out for safety. But now maybe they should consider putting something back in to link the communities together because it was used all the time. I’d say 20-50 people would (walk) over this bridge.”
“There’s a playground in that area so some of these kids take that bridge, take their bikes, go there and come back over,” added Jessica.
A spokesperson for the City of Edmonton says residents who want to cross the Blackmud Creek should use a crossing 500 metres to the north of where the bridge was – along 30 Avenue SW – or one kilometre south – at 41 Avenue.
“These two bridge crossings are safe, authorized, designed and maintained for public use,” the spokesperson said.
“Now they have to go down along the bike trail to the road, along the highway,” said Chris. “Three times the distance.”
The Bondes are hoping the city or developer add structures to the park.