I’ve arrived on my motorcycle in Edmonton, and have navigated thanks to my GPS from the West end of the city to my hotel in the city’s South East area.
I lived in Edmonton for the first 35 years of my life, but this is the first time that I’ve returned that I could barely recognize … well, anything.
The GPS knows best…
My GPS took me on a twisty route through the city. The first major named road I recognized was Stony Plain Road. This turned out to be a bit of a bad choice as the road is under construction, but it was interesting to speculate about what the work was for. I guessed “LRT”, and I found out later I was right.
Then I turned on to Groat Road, which I at least felt somewhat familiar with. I have always liked this twisty little stretch of road, and where the road crosses over the river I was granted a lovely view of the river valley.
The small stretch where Groat Road turns into Saskatchewan Drive then University Avenue (talk about multiple personality disorder) was quite confusing. It seemed familiar, but all the ultra-modern high end houses didn’t look at all right to me. I guess they tore down a lot of the older places as property values went up.
40 km/h is a strange speed limit…
I found the city’s new ’40 km/h unless otherwise posted’ speed limit to be a bit odd. Why reduce the ‘standard’ speed limit from 50 km/h to 40 km/h? It seems like an excuse to give people tickets.
Every where I went that had the 40 km/h limit it seemed as if everyone was going over 50, the exception being near construction. And there was a lot of that, so maybe the speed limit is just a way of normalizing construction zone speeds.
Everyone wants to turn right
My next surprise was 114th Street. Groat Road turns into University Avenue and crosses 114th, which seems like the intersection from hell. Who designed this travesty?
Everyone appears to want to turn right onto 114th southbound, the LRT keeps blocking traffic right at the corner, folks are blocking through lanes so they can make their precious right turn: what a mess. One guy got caught on the LRT tracks by the red light and backed up, starting a whole cavalcade of honking. I suppose that was better than potentially getting hit by the LRT.
Whyte Avenue buskers
I sort of recognized parts of Whyte Avenue. The intersection with 109 street was familiar, but everywhere I looked there were new buildings that threw me off. Then there were the power-amplified buskers, one of whom was playing ‘Comfortably Numb’ at 11 near the old closed-down Army and Navy store.
That I recognized: amazing that the A&N building is still there with its original signage, although it is all boarded up and looks quite ugly. It was always an ugly building, though. I remember its strangely sloping linoleum floors fondly from when my Mom used to take me shopping there, 50 years ago.
Bonnie Doon has LRT?!
I think the oddest part of my little drive was going past a structure claiming to be Bonnie Doon mall but looking nothing at all like it was supposed to look, and then seeing an LRT go by. What the heck is light rail transit doing here? Have I been transported to a bizarro future-world?
I had noticed an LRT overpass on Google Maps that crossed over Argyll Road not far from Bonnie Doon while looking for my hotel a week or so ago. But none of this fit with my memory of Edmonton so I assumed I must be mis-reading the map.
It is true what they say: you can never go home again. Edmonton has changed beyond my ability to recognize it properly. I think I need to have a bit of a lie down now…
Great post. Yes, i did my time in 1978. CFRN. Both my Dad and Brother as well in Edmonton Radio, CHQM and CHED.
It was one big drunk fest back in the day for me. What else was there to do, freezing ? your azz off and in your early 20’s.
It was Mayfair Park then. The infamous ‘rat hole’ and Pepper Tree Apts, plus the drinking hole, Oliver’s. I wonder if any exist now?
The Rathole is gone: paved over around 2000. As for the rest, I don’t really know. I found a video about hauntings at the Pepper Tree, though 😉
I used to listen to 630 CHED AM and later Power 92 FM when I was a teenager. I remember Wes Montgomery and Bob McCord, but I can’t remember any other names.
Well, first off, you illustration of the confused redheaded guy… of course he’s confused – he’s in Calgary.
Second, did you have your GPS set to “avoid freeways”? Because that route is only to be recommended without construction and well away from morning or evening rush hours.
As to 114 street, It was always bad, but you hit it when University is back in.
Bonnie Doon LRT just started regular service last November. But as soon as the LRT was confirmed to go there the owners of the mall started breaking it up and turning it into a collection of un-walkable box stores. They’ve done that to all the older malls when LRT or a large bus centre gets built. Or they build barriers between the station and the mall.
Anyway, Edmonton never stopped growing. We’ve always just kept our head down and done our thing. We just get bad press, because because well, as in your illustration… Calgary.
Regarding the comic book image: that’s ChatGPT for you 😉 I did ask it for Edmonton, honest I did. I decided it was close enough and kind of comically typical for AI generated images. I like the way the Husky (Calgary) Tower is growing out of my head like a mushroom.
My GPS might be set to avoid freeways, I often have it set that way on my motorbike. But I actually enjoyed the ride, other than the traffic. It was nice to see the river valley and some of the LRTs in action.