Government Centre station (formerly known as Grandin/Government Centre station) is an Edmonton LRT station in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It serves both the Capital Line and the Metro Line. It is an underground station located beneath 110 Street between 99 Avenue and 98 Avenue. The station provides service to the Government Centre part of the downtown core and the neighbourhood of Oliver. The station is connected to the Alberta Legislature Building and several other government buildings by underground walkways of the Edmonton Pedway.
History
editGovernment Centre station was opened as Grandin station in September 1989 when the LRT system was extended 0.8 km (0.50 mi) south from the Corona station through a light rail tunnel running beneath the downtown core.[3]
Grandin station was the southern terminus of the LRT line prior to the construction of Dudley B. Menzies Bridge[4] and the opening of University station in August 1992.
Renaming
editIn June 2021, Edmonton City Council voted unanimously to remove the name 'Grandin' from the station, due to Bishop Vital-Justin Grandin's active involvement in Canada's Indian residential schools system and the cultural genocide of Indigenous peoples.[5] 'Government Centre' is currently used as the station's interim name.[6]
Station layout
editThe platform is a 123-metre (403 ft 7 in)-long centre-loading platform that can accommodate two five-car LRT trains at the same time, with one train on each side of the platform. The platform is just over eight metres (26 ft 3 in) wide. Access to the platform is from the surface by stairs and escalators located at each end of the platform. The escalator and stairs at the south end of the platform connect to a pedway system that provides access to several government buildings near the station. This pedway is separate from, and not part of, the Edmonton pedway system.[7]
Public art
editThe station's west wall featured a mural of Bishop Vital-Justin Grandin, the first Catholic bishop in Alberta. It was designed by artist Sylvie Nadeau, and it was donated by the Francophone jeunesse de l'Alberta.[8] After criticism from local First Nations activists that the Nadeau mural could be interpreted as celebratory of the Indian residential schools system, local artist Aaron Paquette was commissioned to create a second "response" mural from a First Nations cultural perspective.[9] Following a decision by Edmonton City Council in June 2021, the mural of Grandin was covered.[5]
Around the station
edit
- Alberta Legislature Building
- Edmonton General Hospital
- Holy Child School
- High Level Bridge
- High Level Bridge Streetcar
- Oliver
Government Centre Transit Centre
editGovernment Centre Transit Centre | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Coordinates | 53°32′10″N 113°30′16″W / 53.53611°N 113.50444°W |
| Platforms | 10 bus bays[10] |
| Construction | |
| Parking | No |
| Accessible | Yes |
| Other information | |
| Website | Government Centre Transit Centre |
The Government Centre Transit Centre is located on 107 Street south of 99 Avenue, adjacent to the Legislature grounds, and three blocks east of the Government Centre station. The transit centre is served by ETS, St. Albert Transit (StAT) and Strathcona County Transit (SCT). There are few amenities at the transit centre itself, other than a large shelter.[11]
The following bus routes serve the transit centre:[12][13][14]
| To/From | Routes | |
|---|---|---|
| Castle Downs Transit Centre | 150X | ETS |
| Downtown | 120X, 130X, 150X, 208, 403, 413, 701 | ETS, StAT, SCT |
| Eaux Claires Transit Centre | 120X, 130X | ETS |
| Kingsway Transit Centre | 701 | ETS |
| MacEwan University | 208, 403, 413 | StAT, SCT |
| NAIT | 413 | SCT |
| Northgate Transit Centre | 120X | ETS |
| Sherwood Park Bethel Transit Terminal | 413 | SCT |
| Sherwood Park Ordze Transit Centre | 403 | SCT |
| Southgate Transit Centre | 701 | ETS |
| St. Albert Centre Exchange | 208 | StAT |
| St. Albert Nakî Transit Centre | 208 | StAT |
| Strathcona / Whyte Ave | 701 | ETS |
The above list does not include LRT services from the adjacent LRT station.
References
edit
- ^ "SD160 Light Rail Vehicle" (PDF). Siemens Transportation Systems, Inc. May 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 October 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
- ^ "2019 LRT Passenger Count Report" (PDF). City of Edmonton. April 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ^ "LRT Brochure" (PDF). 15 November 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 January 2007. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
- ^ Dudley Menzies Bridge – Light Rail Transit Bridge Over The North Saskatchewan River Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Russell, Jennie (7 June 2021). "Edmonton city council votes to rename Grandin LRT station, cover mural of bishop". CBC Edmonton. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ City of Edmonton [@CityofEdmonton] (9 June 2021). "City crews in collaboration w/ @artsedmonton are also working to cover up the word 'Grandin' on various signs throughout the transit network. The interim name for the LRT station will be 'Government Centre'. #Reconciliation #YegTransit" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 June 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ City of Edmonton (July 2011). "LRT Design Guidelines 2011" (PDF). City of Edmonton. p. 700. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
- ^ "Grandin/Government Centre Station Art". City of Edmonton. Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Contentious Grandin Station mural to be revised". Edmonton Journal, 27 February 2014.
- ^ "Government Centre Transit Centre Map" (PDF). City of Edmonton. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- ^ "Government Centre Transit Centre". City of Edmonton. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ^ "Brochures in PDF". City of Edmonton. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ "Schedules & Routes". Strathcona County. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- ^ "Commuter Routes". City of St. Albert. Archived from the original on 2 December 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.