Our View (Editorial)
One-time
opportunity
reprinted from Red Deer
Advocate (Greg Neiman) February 8, 2010
Let's set aside throne speeches, Parliaments, taxes and frozen
windrows of snow for a while and think about something really
important: a model rail museum and theme park for Riverlands.
The first time you hear of a tourism-themed idea like this, the
normal reaction is: "What the heck are you thinking about?"
If the idea cannot climb over that first reaction, it is dead.
Witness the proposal for a set of canals running through the
downtown area.
Now, if I had to make a choice between living in a city with a
waterpark extending several kilometres through our city core,
surrounded by greenery, shops, restaurants and festival sites, or a
transportation-themed museum surrounded by greenery, shops,
restaurants and festival sites, I still like the canals.
But that's just me. The majority definitely rules here, and I
realize I'm more likely to be tossed into a canal than to canoe
along one in Red Deer.
However, quite early after the public defeat of the canals option
has come another, with different options and appeals, and it's worth
spending time thinking about the possibilities.
Of all cities, Red Deer is in a unique position. We have a major
land redevelopment opportunity on some rather pretty waterfront,
that happens to be physically connected to the economic and cultural
heart of the city.
We have recent planning agreements with our two neighbouring
counties to preserve our joint riverlands corridor as a connected
and protected greenway stretching many kilometres both upstream and
downstream of the city. We are at the south end of a major public
trails initiative that will quite soon traverse many kilometres of
rather pretty countryside and farmland, all the way to Ponoka.
Given the size of these tourism assets, and their natural connection
to our downtown, we'd be fools not to think big, when we think about
Riverlands.
Our opportunity to remake and re-think our very self-identity as a
city makes Red Deer the envy of virtually all others. We've been
talking about downtown redevelopment for more than 25 years now and
pretty well all we've been able to produce are award-winning plans.
Well, that's as much -- and probably more -- than most Canadian
centres have accomplished. It is extremely hard to do this work.
But history has afforded Red Deer a chance to redevelop a very large
parcel of riverfront land that connects to downtown, which is
something no other city has at this stage. There just isn't any more
new space to develop in city heartlands -- especially in a
reasonably natural setting.
So we can't let this opportunity pass. We need to make this
redevelopment into something the whole world can look at and not
say: "What the heck were they thinking?" but rather: "Gee, I wish we
had the chance to do something like that."
It became clear fairly soon that a canals option wasn't what we had
in mind.
Might it be a model railway museum and transportation theme park?
Don't say no right away, just because it's novel or unusual, or
might cost you some money up front.
If links can include a future Riverlands greenway, as well as other
attractions outside the city limits, there are huge possibilities in
this.
We want something to showcase our city and our new downtown area for
visitors, but we also want something that enhances our lives here
every day.
Believe it or not, our downtown is still the major economic engine
of the city. It is a high-density employment zone, and it is
becoming increasingly attractive as a high-density residential zone.
A huge portion of Red Deer residents live within a 20-minute walk of
the downtown.
So we owe it to ourselves to think long into the future when we
think about Riverlands, Alexander Way and the whole downtown area.
This opportunity will never come again.
News articles about the Forth Junction Heritage Society
(more below):
News article: World-class destination centre
still in the works
(Innisfail Province Nov.2013)
Editorial: Praise today's big dream
(Innisfail Province Jan.2012)
Editorial: Railway concept captures region's uniqueness
(Olds Albertan Jan.2012)
Feature article: Forth Junction targets county
(Mountain View Gazette Dec.2011)
News article: Forth Junction pulling toward a
new station
(Red Deer Advocate Dec.2011)
News articles related to ACR/CPR Mintlaw bridge
mentioning the Forth Junction Heritage Society:
News article: Plans for Mintlaw Bridge waiting
on public feedback
(Mountain View Gazette Feb.2012)
News article: Opposition comes forward to Mintlaw Bridge preservation
(Mountain View Gazette May 2011)
News article: RD County antes up for Mintlaw
Bridge repairs
(Mountain View Gazette Nov.2010)
News article: Bridging gap between history and
disrepair
(Red Deer Advocate Nov.2010)
News article related to regional model and miniature railways
mentioning the Forth Junction Project:
News
article: Trains still roll for some
(Red Deer Advocate Nov.2012)
News articles related to historic downtown Red Deer redevelopment
mentioning the Forth Junction Project
(the original vision of the Forth Junction Heritage Society included
an attraction in the new downtown
Riverlands but this vision was modified to have one destination
close to the city and active rail line):
News article: Railyards: Open house on a
20-year plan for downtown (Red Deer Advocate June 2011)
News article: Riverlands: Strong turnout for
open house (Red Deer Advocate
March 2011)
Commentary: Red Deer could use more bold
visionary landmark designers
(Red Deer Express Sep.2010)
Michael Dawe articles related to regional railway heritage
mentioning the Forth Junction Heritage Society:
Region celebrating century of railroad
heritage
(Red Deer Express March 2010)
Mintlaw Bridge essential to region's railroad
heritage
(Red Deer Express March 2010)
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