Edmonton ramps up cleaning and graffiti removal to boost Downtown vibrancy

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Edmonton’s downtown neighbourhoods are getting some much-needed TLC with increased cleaning and beautification to make the core more welcoming to visitors and residents this year.

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The city is reallocating $2.5 million, mainly for time and existing resources, toward cleaning sidewalks and tackling litter and graffiti with an emphasis on being proactive and responding more quickly to complaints. Core neighbourhoods including Downtown, west to 124 Street, east to 95 Street, and Chinatown, will have 23 more dedicated parks and roads services staff members — 84 in total — from May 1 to next February. The Edmonton Downtown Business Association will get $100,000 of the funding for its Downtown shine cleaning program for private businesses.

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Tom Girvan, City of Edmonton director of downtown vibrancy and safe city, said Edmontonians will see more workers tidying the streets and parks when they visit. The goal is to make the area more welcoming and increase feelings of safety.

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“You’re going to see garbage removal, litter pick-up, graffiti removal, cleanliness, street sweeping, minor infrastructure repair — all of the things the city is doing we’ve resourced in a larger way,” Girvan told reporters on Thursday.

“We know that an improved state of cleanliness and beautification support perceptions of safety, supports a more welcoming feeling to an area, and we’re going to welcome hundreds of thousands of people downtown this year for festivals and events alone, and we’re just really excited.”

Litter and graffiti may seem like small issues, but Ward O-day’min Coun. Anne Stevenson thinks the improvements will have a big, positive impact on peoples’ experiences Downtown, which she represents.

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“I think it’s going to lead to a very positive impact in people’s day-to-day experiences, how they perceive and feel in the downtown core.”

Ward Nakota Isga Coun. Andrew Knack, deputy mayor, said the city and business groups are collectively working to improve the Downtown and, with the Edmonton Oilers playoffs and spring and summer festivals on the way, this is a good opportunity to make people feel welcome.

Investment ‘desperately needed’: EDBA

Edmonton’s Downtown, like many cities across the continent, has been struggling with social disorder, the impacts of poverty and addiction, crime, drawing visitors, maintaining business vacancies, and poor public perception since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the city and province have taken action in recent months to tackle some of these issues.

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Puneeta McBryan, Edmonton Downtown Business Association (EDBA) executive director, said it’s been difficult since the onset of the pandemic. She’s grateful for the funding which she says will make a “massive difference.”  The EDBA’s cleaning teams will do litter and needle pick-ups eight hours a day seven days a week, up from four hours a day for five days, plus power-washing.

“This is really a recognition that our Downtown is everybody’s Downtown,” she said. “It was a really, really tough two or three years on this issue of cleanliness … this investment is desperately needed.

“How our Downtown looks and feels, when we think about things like piles of vomit on the (ground), overflowing garbage cans, it’s a massive impact on how people perceive our city.”

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@laurby