Strong turnout at today’s media gathering where Shirley Lowe and Michael Phair of Rossdale Regeneration released the group’s report and recommendations on the future of the Rossdale power plants. Here’s CTV Edmonton’s piece on this.
Media advisory: Rossdale Regeneration to release report & recommendations, Thursday, July 4, 11:30 am
3 JulEdmonton- Rossdale Regeneration is a diverse group of Edmontonians who have come together to advocate for the protection and preservation of the Rossdale Power Plant as an important part of our city’s architectural history. The group has developed a report and recommendations on the Rossdale Power Plant, which will be made public at a media event on Thursday, July 4, 2013.
The Rossdale Power Plant is currently owned by Epcor. It is subject to a provincial historic designation which prevents the plant’s demolition. Alberta Culture Minister Heather Klimchuk commented recently that she intends to honour the provincial heritage designation which protects the building. Rossdale Regeneration envisions a creative and innovative repurposing of the Rossdale Power Plant which would allow it to thrive as an architectural and cultural centerpiece of a vibrant river valley district.
Event Details:
Date: Thursday, July 4, 2013
Time: 11:30 AM – Noon
Location: Rossdale Community League Hall, 10135 – 96 Ave. Edmonton
Program: Rossdale Regeneration spokespeople former City Councillor Michael Phair and Edmonton’s Historian Laureate Shirley Lowe will outline Rossdale Regeneration’s recommendations for the Rossdale Power Plant and take questions from the media.
Rossdale Regeneration is scheduled to present its report and recommendations to the Executive Committee of Edmonton City Council on Monday, July 8, 2013. The meeting will take place in public.
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact: Michael Phair, 780-426-1516, michaelphair@shaw.ca
Old Strathcona Foundation’s position on Rossdale
3 Jul
The Old Strathcona Foundation is writing to express our concern over the proposed de-registration of Edmonton’s Rossdale Power Plant… It is an iconic feature in the heart of our river valley and deserves to be restored and re-purposed…
Please consider the wonderful potential of this site for our future generations. A Provincial Historic Site is permitted to be altered for a number of valid reasons if such actions do not disturb or destroy the significant heritage fabric of the site. This could become a vibrant and viable space that celebrates the heritage of this area from the time of settlement to the birth of industry in our city.
At the very least, this is an important issue to Edmontonians and should be deserving of more public consultation before any internal decisions are made.
This letter was copied to Edmonton’s City Council and to Alberta’s Minister of Culture, to which Minister Klimchuk replied.
Old Strathcona Foundation’s Core Values
- Stewardship: acts as steward of the historic area of Old Strathcona, its assets, its historical stories
- Community: engaged in the Strathcona and area community
- Collaboration: Old Strathcona Foundation is a leader with others such as the local community partners, businesses, governments and other heritage organizations in the pursuit of its mission
- Service: provides local heritage knowledge with effective programs for preservation and revitalization of the Strathcona heritage area
Link
Rossdale Power Plant on HCF’s Endangered List?
28 Jun
Courtesy of K. Jack Cook Photography
Rossdale Power Plant on HCF’s Endangered List?
Great to have the profile, but we’re working on some great possibilities. Look for more on this as we look towards City Council presentations on July 8th.
The Birthplace of Edmonton and Alberta
25 Jun
First Nations tents in Rossdale, 1920. Photo courtesy of City of Edmonton Archies, EA-160-165
Named for pioneer settler Donald Ross, the area known as Rossdale is rich in human history. It was here that Edmonton began life as a fur trading post in 1801, and where Alberta was inaugurated as a province in 1905 by Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier.
In the early days of the 20th century, it was the birthplace of Edmonton Power.
Situated on the broad flat scoured by the North Saskatchewan River and now at the north end of the Walterdale Bridge, it’s easy to see why this was a place First Nations people gathered for thousands of years. The river was the principal transportation corridor in prehistoric and early historic times, and fur trading companies chose the north shore of the river right here for the trading outposts of Fort Edmonton and Edmonton House.
By Lawrence Herzog
Chelsea Boos’s Open Letter to the Rossdale Power Plant
14 Jun
The Mayor has warned that it may ask the province to remove the Historical Designation (for the second time) on this imposing yet beautiful piece of architecture, a landmark of Edmonton, a testament to the site where people have settled for thousands of years, and a symbol of the growth of the city as we know it.
It would cost only 7.4 million dollars to stabilize the complex of buildings, which have minor structural issues, plus 87 million dollars to save and later repurpose the plant into one of many fantastic visions already developed and studied. Meanwhile, the city has just announced that it will fund a 35 million dollar gondola from downtown to the Rossdale Community. Maybe I’m just cynical, but it sounds to me like a certain someone wants waterfront development, and thinks this old thing is in the way.
By Chelsea Boos
visit her website here
Rossdale ReGeneration 
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