SUNDRE — The municipality’s newest landscape feature on the west side of town recently shined brightly on a provincial stage.
Designed as an artistic place-making project that not only enhances curbside appeal but also improves safety with the aim of reducing crime, the Sundre Light Garden was among 38 nominations from all over Alberta in the category of community renewal at the 2022 Economic Developers Alberta conference and awards held April 7 at the Kananaskis Lodge.
“The light garden came out on top … for its originality, beauty, and functionality as a means of helping activate a public space following principles of crime prevention through environmental design,” said Jon Allan, the Town of Sundre’s economic development officer.
The project was officially finished before the new year and is the latest effort to beautify the west side of town, which in recent years has also seen the installation of a three-metre asphalt walking path as well as picnic tables, benches, flowers and a pergola.
“The lights help activate the space,” Allan wrote by email in response to questions. “In the evening and at night, they add to the beautification work done on the west end by adhering to principles of crime prevention through environmental design.”
The municipality ended up winning not only the award for best project in the small community or region category, but also the Alex Metcalfe Award that recognizes the best project out of all communities, regardless of their size, he said.
“The awards celebrate creative projects in the category of community economic renewal,” he said. “The light garden, which features columns of light that alternate in size, from short to tall in a wave pattern, evokes the undulating peaks of Sundre’s nearby mountains and the ebb and flow of the Red Deer River that courses through our town.”
The light garden is situated on Sundre’s west end travel node near the intersection of Highways 22 and 27.
Allan expressed gratitude to the municipal council and administration for taking a chance on supporting the project.
“The project is one I conceptualized and ultimately manifested, and so, it’s quite personal to me, too,” he said. “Place-making is integral to my economic development philosophy, as it contributes to people’s quality of life.”
Allan also expressed a passion for using light to enhance a public space’s appeal.
“I've personally loved the idea of using light and lighting as a place-making tactic,” he said. “After the new pergola, flower beds and picnic tables were recently installed by our team in the community services department, it became apparent that this space was an ideal location to use light as a means of activating the space into the evenings and particularly during the winter months. It's becoming a very well-utilized public space.”
Initially proposed to the former council during the 2020 fall workshop as an economic development initiative, the light garden’s inspiration was in large part drawn from a similar light cluster at Suydam Park in Toronto, he said, adding preliminary quotes were also presented at the time.
The council of the day “realized the potential place-making benefit this would have for the town,” he said.
In an effort to hire locally, the municipality ended up working with Clear Rush Co., a Sundre-based company that Allan described as “instrumental” in helping the town to install the project and make the light garden a reality.
By the summer of 2021, the project was well underway with Clear Rush trenching in electrical cables and also pouring concrete bases in preparation for the installation of the light fixtures that were sourced from Québec, he said.
“Due to shipping and supply chain issues, the light columns were not delivered, installed and lit up until several months later, just in time for Christmas,” he added.
The light garden was completed as a component of the Main Avenue West capital project’s first phase, he said.
“There are technically two installations as part of the project,” he said. “One at the west end of the boulevard at 10th St. SW, and the east end of the boulevard at 7th St. SW.”
The total cost of both lighting installations that comprise the overall project amounted to nearly $65,400, he said.
“The project is intended to bring people out of their vehicles, to explore our pathway network, leave them with a positive perception of Sundre, and hopefully lead them downtown.”
