The City of St. Albert has won a third award for the recent redevelopment of Grey Nuns White Spruce Park on the city's west side.
The award, a 2023 Parks Excellence Award from the Alberta Parks and Recreation Association, was announced on Oct. 28, and “recognizes achievements or innovative ideas in parks and open space operations and increases the profile of parks and open space professionals in Alberta,” a city news release states.
“In 2022, new amenities were constructed within the [Grey Nuns White Spruce Park] that commit to protecting the historical and environmental significance of the park and forest for the long-term while maintaining accessibility for everyone to explore, gather and learn more about this unique area.”
Among the new amenities the city added to the park last year were about four kilometres of trails, two outdoor classrooms, a picnic shelter, and a nature-based play area.
As well, the city planted some 2,000 white spruce seedlings during construction, which means more than 23,000 seedlings have been planted in the area in the past decade.
Besides the Parks Excellence Award from Alberta Parks and Recreation, the city has also been recognized with environmental awards for its $3.1 million redevelopment of Grey Nuns White Spruce Park by the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators and Alberta Municipalities.
The city previously won a Parks Excellence Award through the Alberta Parks and Recreation Association in 2018 for the development of the Riel Recreation Park, also known as Rotary Park.
