Feature Article
RAIL YARD RELOCATION OPENS LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT: 1991
Written By: Michael Dawe
Published By: Red Deer Advocate Centennial Book
Article Used with permission. © Copyright Michael Dawe and the Red Deer Advocate, 2007
2007-01-01
; "Rail yard relocation opens land for development")
In November 1990, almost 100 years to the day after the railroad first reached Red Deer, the Canadian Pacific Railway began moving its tracks to a new location on the west side of the city.
It was a significant milestone. Mayor Bob McGhee described it as one of the most important developments in Red Deer’s history.
Moving the CPR line out of the heart of the city had been under consideration for many years. The rail line often acted as an obstacle to traffic flows within the city.
Opening up the rail yards offered an opportunity for major new developments and hopefully a rejuvenation of the downtown core.
There would also be an end to the noise disruption of the train traffic through many residential areas.
Red Deer already had the experience of one of the first railroad relocation projects in Canada.
In 1960-61, the Canadian National rail yards were moved from the east side of the downtown area to the new Riverside Industrial Park north of the river.
There had been many subsequent benefits to the city. There were new retail and residential developments along 47th Avenue.
The Recreation Centre was constructed in the 4500 block.
The fairgrounds had been expanded.
A beautiful belt of parkland had been created between Parkvale and the downtown area.
However, the CN relocation had involved what was essentially a spur line into the city.
The CPR project involved relocating the very busy main line between Calgary and Edmonton.
It was a much more daunting and expensive proposal.
Not much happened for several years. The city did factor the proposed relocation into most of its long-term plans and major projects such as the construction of Taylor Bridge and the north leg of Taylor Drive in 1979.
The first major advance to the project came after many years of negotiation in 1988 when the provincial government announced funding under its Urban Transportation Major Continuous Corridor and Primary Highway Connectors program.
The province would pay 90 per cent of the estimated $72.5 million cost of the project. While the city’s share would be 10 per cent of the total, it would still be a hefty $7.2 million.
There were to be many benefits other than improved transportation links and downtown redevelopment.
Red Deer’s MLA, Jim McPherson predicted that the city’s employment numbers would improve by at least a percentage point with an estimated $60 to $70 million in new construction.
Work on the massive project proceeded steadily over the next six years.
The new rail line was constructed on the west side of the city. Included was a new rail bridge across the Red Deer Rier, next to the Hwy 2 traffic bridge.
New rail yards were developed in the Edgar Industrial Park, which had been purchased by the city in 1981 for $8.7 million.
As to be expected given the enormous size of the project, there were many controversies.
Property owners along the new right-of-way protested the amount of compensation they were offered.
In many cases, the city had to resort to expropriation.
Local naturalists protested the loss of ecologically sensitive areas at Heritage Ranch and in Maskepetoon Park.
To offset some of these concerns, the rail bridge was constructed west of the highway. The line then went under Hwy 2 on the north side of the Maskepetoon Park wetlands.
Redevelopment of the 26-acre rail yards did not unfold as many expected.
A great deal of the land remained vacant for several years. A proposed hotel and convention facility was never built.
The deal struck with the Gelmon Corp. and Westfair Foods to develop a huge retail grocery outlet northwest of the old CPR station was roundly criticized by some who felt that the city’s selling price of the land was well below market value.
Nevertheless, a new coordinated road system was developed on the west side, providing easy links between north and south Red Deer.
The beautiful old CPR station as preserved by turning Ross Street and 49th Avenue into one-way traffic couplets, coming together at Taylor Bridge.
The CPR rail bridge was preserved when a group of citizens, led by Shirley Hocken of the Northside Community Association, pointed out that it was cheaper to save the bridge and turn it into a pedestrian walkway than it was to remove it.
Eventually, new retail developments sprang up and rows of condominium complexes were built on both sides of Taylor Drive.
Plans were also drawn up to move the city yards and to have even more new development created in what was to become known as Riverlands.
This article was written by Michael Dawe for the Red Deer Advocate’s Centennial Book. The Heritage Community Foundation would like to thank Michael Dawe and the Red Deer Advocate for permission to reprint these materials online. Please visit the Red Deer Advocate online.The images in the article are part of the collection of the Red Deer Archives. Please visit them online.