Millennium Project (J. Taylor)

Recommendation:
That the following report be received for information.

Report Summary

This report provides a response to an Administrative Inquiry from Councillor Taylor regarding the Millennium Project.

Previous Council/Committee Action

At the May 25, 1999 Community Services Committee, Councillor Taylor requested the following information from the Community Services Department:

“We have now just seven months to go until we usher in the Millennium. I would appreciate the following information from the Administration:

  1. What will be done to recognize Louise McKinney Park, our “official” millennium project?
  2. Besides Louise McKinney Park, are there any other City of Edmonton driven or sponsored projects?
  3. Is the First Night Festival Association planning anything special this year for the millennium; and if so, how is the City of Edmonton involved?

I would appreciate a response at the first Community Services Committee meeting in July if possible.”

Report

  1. City Council has approved the Louise McKinney Park (the Park) as the City's official millennium project.
  • In an effort to make people aware of this project, this project has been and will be showcased through a number of promotions, displays and events throughout 1999. A web site has been created, a Millennium Newsletter has featured the Park, the project was highlighted at the City's Millennium Kickoff, and the project was featured at the City's Millennium workshops held at City Hall. Permanent displays of the Park Master Plan are to be installed at the Park site, at City Hall and possibly at the Shaw Conference Centre.
  • Excellent media coverage has created interest in the project from some local community organizations. For example, groups are interested in placing art works in the Park, and the First Night Festival Association has proposed a stone archway for one of the Park entrances.
  • Phase one of the Park will be officially opened and recognized as our Millennium project on July 1, 2000.
  1. The second City of Edmonton driven millennium project is the “Council Wall of History” in City Hall. The Wall of History project is being undertaken by the City of Edmonton’s House Committee.
    As of June 11, 1999, there are 82 additional projects to which the City’s Millennium Celebrations Office has given various amounts of non-financial support and assistance. This support has included sitting on planning committees, filling out grant applications, identifying potential sponsorships, promotions, linking projects together and requesting governmental support at the Federal and Provincial levels.
    The Millennium Celebrations Office has directly assisted many projects with fundraising through the sale of Millennium Buttons and Pins. Community groups will be using the City’s Millennium Logo to promote their projects and have been included in the City’s Millennium Project Database.
  1. The First Night Festival Society is planning a number of new initiatives for this year’s First Night Festival. Working towards the theme of “Share the Light, Ignite the Spirit”, the Festival is planning to host a World Beat Pow Wow in City Hall, a three-hour musical feature from a heated outdoor stage on Sir Winston Churchill Square, and a greatly expanded Grande Finale in the Arts District. The Grande Finale plans include an expanded light and sound show, as well as a significantly larger fireworks display.
    The City of Edmonton hosted a planning meeting with the Festival Producers on May 28, 1999. The purpose of this meeting was to share the plans of the Festival with City Departments. Some of the preliminary strategies being discussed, to support the activities in the downtown, include the placement of additional Police Officers in the area, an expansion of the free services provided by Edmonton Transit (extra buses and trains and potentially longer hours of service), and earlier and potentially expanded road closures. Extended building closing times, additional snow removal and the placement of emergency response equipment in close proximity to Sir Winston Churchill Square are strategies also being considered. These plans are preliminary and will be further developed at a subsequent meeting with the Festival Producers in August.
    The City of Edmonton, upon recommendation of the Edmonton Arts Council, has also provided a $69,750 Community Investment Grant to the First Night Festival in support of its activities.

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