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Matt Gibbs

He said creating even a piecemeal skate trail along that greenway would give people a new transportation and recreation option close to home, promote infill and density, honour Edmontonians’ image as being hardy winter warriors and create a tourist destination. The concept won international awards and has been promoted as part of Edmonton’s winter vision at various conferences.

What Edmonton created was a 400-metre recreational skate trail with artistic lighting in Victoria Park, similar to what it’s done for years in a district park in Castle Downs, north of 153 Avenue.

Gibbs helped with the Victoria Park project in the river valley, believing it was a pilot project to eventually pursue the skate trail as he envisioned. But it’s now clear that’s not the plan. He’s also been told there’s no longer a role for him with the project, even though the city plans to create a slightly longer version of the skate trail this winter.

Roger Jevne, branch manager for community and recreation facilities, said Gibbs is not involved because the department isn’t looking to create a transportation corridor. “We’re just trying to replicate what we did last year.”

“The overall concept for the Freezeway is not something we can do,” said Jevne. “We’ve looked at it just on a recreational basis.”

Gibbs said his renderings are being used with only the City of Edmonton logo. Jevne said the city has tried to give him credit where due, and has gone back to correct that where necessary. “It wasn’t like we tried to take his idea.”

Mayor Don Iveson said Gibbs received plenty of recognition for the idea over the years, but his vision was impractical.

“The city took that suggestion in good faith and implemented it in a more practical way, because quite frankly, the suggestion of doing it and crossing roads with it and turning it into a commuter thing … like, what the heck are you supposed to do? You’re supposed to put your skate guards back on at every intersection? It was a cool idea.”

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