The Waterfront Revitalization Project’s goal is to utilize our natural waterfront for community benefit, while building a resilient park and strengthening flood mitigation. To design the park in a way that responds to flooding, elements and approaches have been incorporated in the design to reduce a flood’s impact. Some of the ways this is achieved is by locating key park amenities outside of the flood plain, incorporating natural landforms to protect park features from debris and ice, and utilizing resilient materials that can be restored or rehabilitated in the event of a flood.

The design enhances existing natural elements, creates various community gather spaces, improves water access and connectivity to our downtown, and recognizes the region’s Indigenous heritage. Some items include a continuous multi-use trail, plazas, parkour course, toboggan hill, and discovery moments.

The design incorporates feedback heard from recent engagement with residents, stakeholders and Indigenous Partners creating a welcoming community space shaped by the region. 

The Waterfront Park is located on a flood plain, appropriate design elements were incorporate to support withstanding future floods. 

The Waterfront Park Revitalization Project is a priority in the Municipality’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan. The Wood Buffalo community has expressed interest in creating an enhanced waterfront for many years. The Waterfront Park’s goal is to create a versatile community park space providing opportunity for all.

The Waterfront Park design covers 6km of waterfront from the Athabasca Bridge to Horse Pasture Park in Waterways.

The Snye Point Outdoor Event Space lies in-between the Waterfront Park boundary. The Waterfront Park is part of the Waterfront Park Revitalization Project including the Snye Point Outdoor Event Space that received public feedback in March 2021 and has released the final conceptual design.

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo recognizes that the Waterfront Project is located on Treaty 8 land—the traditional territory of the Cree and Dene and the unceded territory of the Métis people.  We respect this deep and continued history of the site and look forward to capturing these through design elements such as marker poles, welcome circles, and signage and wayfinding. Collaborating with the Indigenous community is an essential component ensuring we understand and incorporate their perspectives.

We understand future flood mitigation projects will align with the Waterfront Park design space. Administration will be consolidating engagement feedback between the Waterfront Park and flood mitigation projects to support synergy with the effected areas.

The Waterfront Park has several guiding principles:

• Represent the larger diverse community supporting placemaking and placekeeping. Passive four-season waterfront;
• Key waterfront points of interest and destinations;
• Continuous multi-use path with integrated cultural and recreation opportunities;
• Touch the water;
• Integrated public art;
• Integrate flood mitigation principles;
• Incorporate past Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo guiding documents;
• Respectful collaboration to represent Indigenous communities and integrated cultural celebration;
• Work collaboratively with public and stakeholders.

Construction for the Waterfront Park is slated to start spring of 2022.