Ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the park. Alexia Pang/The Griff

The year-round green space offers amenities to build and grow Edmonton’s downtown community.

Downtown Edmonton has a new green space as O-day’min Park officially opened this November after being under construction for the past two years.  

The park spans from 106 St. to 108 St. and Jasper Avenue to 102 Ave., and is about an eight-minute walk south of MacEwan. 

It is designed to operate all year long, offering amenities such as fireplaces, an off-leash dog park and outdoor swings attached to the park’s centrepiece: a giant light fixture inspired by the northern lights. 

 “We know, and we hear it time and time again, that when you have more people walking in parks, walking to the nearby shops, that is what improves safety, because you’ve got more people looking out for one another.”

— Andrew Knack, Mayor of Edmonton

Mayor Andrew Knack said he views the park as a building block to attract economic development, increase safety, and encourage community-building opportunities in downtown Edmonton. “It’s the fact that you have more people moving downtown because of this park,” Knack told reporters after the opening ceremony. 

“We know, and we hear it time and time again, that when you have more people walking in parks, walking to the nearby shops, that is what improves safety, because you’ve got more people looking out for one another.”  

 “I think this is going to become a hub for students, because why wouldn’t you want to be in this space?”

— Andrew Knack, Mayor of Edmonton

As of now, one apartment tower near the park has been completed, but the city anticipates building approximately 1,600 more housing units by next November. 

Knack said the park can serve as a third space for MacEwan and NorQuest students to hang out and study between classes. “I think this is going to become a hub for students, because why wouldn’t you want to be in this space?” Knack said.