Opened in November 2025, O-day’min Park transforms 1.81 hectares of former surface parking lots in downtown Edmonton into a year-round civic landscape. Designed by gh3* and CCxA, with AECOM, Ombrages / Éclairage public and Twenty/20 Communications, the park is rooted in the social, geographic and climatic realities of its place.
Situated between 106th and 108th Street, from Jasper Avenue to 102 Avenue, the park is conceived as an “urban oasis” for recreation, gathering and ecological function. A central lawn, framed by a gentle topographic rise that becomes a sledding hill in winter, forms the heart of the site. Around it are spaces for an off-leash dog area, fitness, play, informal basketball, seasonal events and spontaneous gathering. A pavilion by gh3* provides year-round amenities and social infrastructure and received a 2024 Canadian Architect Award of Excellence.
The design draws on Edmonton’s position within the aspen parkland biome, where boreal forest and prairie meet. The west side has a more forest-like character, while the east opens into a central clearing with more dispersed trees. Each side has its own plaza: the West Plaza combines fireplaces, the pavilion and buffalo-check paving, while the East Plaza has a lighter, picnic-inspired character. Connecting the two is the Northern Light feature, a 5 m-high steel structure with dynamic lighting inspired by the Aurora Borealis.
The park’s name, O-day’min, means “strawberry” or “heart-berry” in Anishinaabe. This symbolism is reflected in the layout, planting and architecture, from abstract strawberry forms to wild strawberries in the meadow planting and the pavilion’s strawberry-red finish.
Streetlife Canada Inc. furnishings form part of this material expression, including Drifter benches and picnic sets, extended-length Drifter picnic tables, sculptural Drifter structures and Heavy-Heavy terrace-style bleacher seating around the basketball court. CCxA selected the furnishings for their balance of heavy-duty character and civic refinement. Large Douglas fir beams bring warmth to the park, while the variety of configurations adds cohesion and presence.
The park also integrates ecological systems suited to Edmonton’s conditions. Bioretention swales manage stormwater, soil cells support long-term tree growth, and native grasses and perennials sourced from Alberta strengthen biodiversity and regional identity.
O-day’min Park demonstrates how a public landscape can emerge directly from its context. Its climate, ecology and cultural references come together to create a park that is distinctly, and recognisably, Edmonton.
