Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. Yellowknifer

Pop-up Park removed from 50 Street location

Simon Whitehouse
1707popuppark42

The temporary  'Yk Pop-Up Park' that had been in place on city-owned property to help revitalize the downtown core is now a thing of the past.

City owned lots on 50 Street that once held a pop-up park managed by Ecology North are now vacant after city workers removed park items from the site, Wednesday. The municipality states that it is looking to review what will be done with the sites.
Simon Whitehouse/NNSL photo

City workers were seen taking away parts of the park that had been installed across two city-owned lots since 2018 as part of an effort by the municipality and Ecology North to make use of the vacant street.

An official launch and barbecue for the park between the Raven Nightclub and the Gold Range Bistro was held in August 2018.

Ecology North was unable for comment when NNSL Media reached out to the organization on Wednesday.

NNSL Media understands that the environmental organization has been attempting to manage the site and expand on the elements on the lots, however there have been liability and legal issues that have prevented further growth.

An official launch and barbecue drew long line-ups of families and children at the Yk Pop-Up Park in the the city's downtown core, Aug. 2, 2018.  The site, which had been transformed into an urban park with the help of Ecology North, has returned to its former state as of lots.
NNSL file photo

Alison Harrower, spokesperson with the City of Yellowknife stated on Wednesday that retaining the park was a continued problem.

"The pop-up park was a temporary use of city-owned land, proposed by and executed with Ecology North," she stated.

"The City applauds the intentions (of the park) but the ability to provide ongoing upkeep became a challenge. "At this time, the City does not have the staff or financial resources available to supplement the work that has been done by Ecology North to maintain the site. The City is currently reviewing other potential uses for the land."

RELATED COVERAGE: YK Editorial: City inertia on downtown sets in 

Long history 

The City of Yellowknife has been working for close to a decade to revitalize the historical commercial strip of 50 Street since it purchased the former the Corner Mart and Instaloans buildings and an accompanying parking lot in 2012 for for $975,000.

Those three properties remain for sale on the City of Yellowknife website for $825,000.

The city also bought the 50/50 lot in 2014 for for $1.45 million and that remains for sale on the city website for the same price.

Also on the same street, the Gold Range Hotel went up for sale earlier this year and remains on the Coldwell Banker Commercial Property for sale  for $1,750,000.