New mountain bike park in Edmonton's river valley will start construction this year
Construction will begin this year on Edmonton's first mountain bike park in the city's river valley.
Since 2018, the Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance (EMBA) has been planning the dedicated bike space outfitted with trails, an asphalt track, and jumps in Queen Elizabeth Park. With a $613,000 grant from the provincial government, the project is now fully funded and hopes to open in spring or summer 2026.
"This investment in the Edmonton Bike Park is a game changer for our community," Joe Yurkovich, EMBA president said in a news conference Tuesday.
"It's been a long road, but we're excited to get started this year."
Yurkovich said the park will serve all ages and skill levels, allowing more people to explore the sport and grow their skills before hitting the trails.
The park will be free to use and the EMBA is fundraising a reserve fund for any ongoing maintenance for the park.
The site is at a former wastewater treatment plant in Queen Elizabeth Park. When the city wrote a master plan for the park in 2013, a bike skills park was identified as a good future use of the space.
Adam Luciuk, event producer for the Edmonton Mountain Bike Festival, said the community has been looking forward to having a dedicated space for years.
"That was part of the reason why we started the mountain bike festival was to build upon that excitement for the community and create a celebration."
Luciuk is enthusiastic about the potential the new park will bring for holding events in the city and tourism.
"Something of this scale can really attract people from outside the city to come to Edmonton to do training, to learn a new sport, and to recreate," he said.
"We can even use this space to host cool and fun events that bring athletes and people from all over the world."
The funding was announced Tuesday, but EMBA applied through the 2024 granting cycle. A third of the project also came from the City of Edmonton through a $407,000 grant. The remaining $177,000 was raised through private sponsorships and donations.
Tanya Fir, minister of arts, culture and status of women, said the money is part of a package of grants dedicated to creating vibrant communities.
"They give Albertans a chance to connect with friends, family and neighbours, enriching and enhancing our province's cultural and recreational landscape, while also providing a boost to our thriving economy," Fir said.
One concern Yurkovich said was raised during the proposal feedback process was parking because they expect the space will be popular.
But in such a central location, he expects many cyclists will simply ride in.
"It shouldn't be a problem. But that just gives you the sense that people do see that this will be a great amenity for the city."
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