Streetcars ran in Edmonton starting in 1908, including along Whyte Avenue
Article content
An extension to the High Level streetcar line into Old Strathcona will see its grand opening Thursday after more than a decade of planning.
Article content
The Edmonton Radial Railway Society operates the historic High Level Bridge streetcar, and is celebrating the completion of the link to a new terminal just north of Whyte Avenue, connecting passengers from the downtown terminal, west of the Alberta legislature.
Society president Chris Ashdown, said even though it’s about an 800-foot addition to the line, it will provide a big boost.
“Streetcars ran in Edmonton starting in 1908, including along Whyte Avenue, so now we’ve got streetcars present again at one of the key intersections in Old Strathcona, so for us it’s far more visibility,” he said.
After the Canadian Pacific Railway abandoned its right of way, the line could be expanded across Gateway Boulevard and south to the north side of Whyte Avenue.
Article content
The grand opening will happen at 11 am at the new platform north of Whyte Avenue between Gateway Boulevard and 102 Street. The project, costing just over $1 million, was funded by the city, Alberta Culture, the Edmonton Radial Railway Society and private donors.
A popular tourist attraction, the streetcar began ferrying passengers this season in late May, and will continue running until October.
During its last full operating season in 2019 before service interruptions triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the High Level Bridge streetcar line carried over 92,000 passengers.
“A lot of those people were coming into Strathcona – some for the first time,” said Ashdown.
The society also runs the Fort Edmonton Streetcar line inside Fort Edmonton Park during the park’s operating season.