Latest news with #UniversityofAlbertaPropertiesTrust
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Plans for Nordic spa in Edmonton's river valley now official, developers say
Edmonton has been selected as the location of a new spa that promises to make a secluded corner of the city's southwest a destination for cold plunges, steam heat and silent relaxation. The city's first Nordic spa is slated for construction in Brander Gardens, overlooking the North Saskatchewan River. Canadian wellness brand Scandinave Group Inc. has been floating plans to construct the facility on property owned by the University of Alberta Properties Trust known as the Soaring lands. In a joint news release Wednesday, officials with Scandinave Group, along with the provincial government and Travel Alberta, announced that those plans are now official. Steve Arsenault, the company's president and CEO, said the project is moving forward after garnering support from Alberta's Investment and Growth Fund. The spa is now expected to open in the summer of 2028. "Bringing Scandinave Spa to Edmonton is a natural fit with our vision to create unforgettable wellness experiences in iconic destinations," Arsenault said in a statement. "We're proud to be part of Alberta's tourism future and to offer Edmontonians a unique way to unwind, year-round." Nordic spas, known as a Scandinavian spas or thermal spas, are centred around the concept of hydrotherapy where clients gently heat their bodies in saunas or hot tubs before cooling off with a cold bath and repeating the cycle. Scandinave Group Inc. — which has built similar spas in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia — said the spa will include saunas, steam baths, cold plunges and outdoor relaxation areas. Following a pitch to the City of Edmonton and a series of public consultations, councillors voted unanimously to pass a rezoning application for the project in February, clearing the way for construction. Arsenault said the project is expected to generate approximately $121 million in total economic impact over its first decade of operation while making Edmonton a destination for the growing wellness tourism industry. It's expected to result in 330 temporary jobs during construction and 52 permanent full-time jobs after the spa opens, company officials said. The announcement was lauded by Andrew Boitchenko, Alberta's tourism minister, who said the provincial government is proud to support the new venture. "This landmark project sets the stage for future tourism development, fuelling the growth of our visitor economy by enhancing Edmonton's iconic river valley and promoting Alberta as a premier wellness destination."
CBC
25-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Edmonton city council approves rezoning application for nordic spa development
After weighing the pros and cons of allowing a nordic spa to be built in southwest Edmonton, city councillors voted unanimously to pass a rezoning application for the project on Monday, allowing it to go forward. Scandinave Group Inc., which has built similar spas in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia, has proposed building a nordic spa — Edmonton's first — in Brander Gardens, right beside the river valley, on land owned by the University of Alberta Properties Trust. Steve Arsenault, the company's president and CEO, said the project will include saunas, steam baths, cold plunges and outdoor relaxation areas, among other features. He said the spa will enhance Edmonton's reputation as a wellness destination and bring investment dollars, jobs and tourism revenue to the city. "Through this project, we are committed to hiring locally," he told councillors during a public hearing on Monday afternoon. Also speaking in support of the project, Melissa Radu, the executive director of destination stewardship with the marketing organization Explore Edmonton, said the spa would help businesses attract visitors during the slower winter and shoulder seasons. She said wellness tourists spent more than other visitors, directly benefiting local businesses. Some critics told councillors the project would harm the environment and questioned how a private facility would benefit the public. "This will destroy, despite the rhetoric, the rich biodiversity on the property," said Ramsey Heights resident Gloria Michalchuk. Arsenault said construction would be carried out with the utmost care to preserve the natural environment and Stantec's Yolanda Lew, speaking on behalf of Scandinave, said residential construction on the site would lead to the loss of even more trees. Opposing speakers also brought up concerns about consultation with First Nations and the desire for a public walkway on the top of the bank, overlooking the river. Tim Cartmell, who represents ward pihêsiwin, where the site is located, said he's excited about the project, including the possibility of reduced rates for Edmontonians to access the facility at certain times. "There's really just an abundance of positives here that, for me, really outweigh the potential negatives," he said. Cartmell said if the nordic spa development did not go ahead, the land would be used for residential development. He said the neighbourhood doesn't need more housing since more than half of residential units in the Brander Gardens are rentals, the area is denser than most parts of his ward and local schools are overwhelmed. "This is frankly a better alternative," he said. Though Cartmell said he appreciates residents' concerns about not having a walkway on the west edge of the property, the nordic spa proposal opens up the possibility of building a multi-use path between the Fort Edmonton Footbridge and Whitemud Road. Through an agreement with the University of Alberta, which would be triggered at the development permit stage, the city could purchase a strip of land along the north property line.
