Edmonton Freezeway Skating - Somewhere in the frigid Canadian province of Alberta, a University of British Columbia graduate's ingenious idea to create a one-of-a-kind 'Freezeway' could finally help locals make peace with the seasonal freezing winter conditions.
Landscape architect Matt Gibbs, who grew up in Edmonton, reportedly came up with the idea for an 11-kilometre skating route in the heart of the city in 2013. According to Gibbs, the 'Frezeway' would make the winter a little more bearable as residents of Edmonton would be able to skate to work, school and other places while performing their daily errands.
Gibbs' Freezeway idea, which won him first place in the 2013 COLDSCAPES competition, involves bridging together two existing rail corridors and building an artificial ice skating trail on the platform. The multipurpose Freezeway, which also has a pedestrian path, will serve as a bike lane in the summer.
According to Gibbs, it would take skaters nearly 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete a run on the Freezeway and he estimates that it would cost up to $16-$400 to build a metre of the path.
Although Gibbs has faced some opposition, the Freezeway has received the resounding support of the people of Edmonton. City officials have even decided to pilot the project next year.
City Planner Susan Holdsworth explained that the idea for the Freezeway easily gained public support. "We thought we'd have to push the snowball up hill. Instead it's like we're riding downhill, gaining momentum, going faster all the time," she said.
It is unclear exactly how much it would cost to create the Freezeway and when the project would be completed, but experts say its development could inspire the creation of similar multipurpose skating lanes in other parts of the world.
