Beaver Hills House Park & Michael Phair Park Renewal

Beaver Hills House Park and Michael Phair Park have reopened after renewal work.

Project Update - December 2025

Beaver Hills House Park and Michael Phair Park are now open, providing more outdoor space for those who live, work and play in Edmonton’s downtown core.

After two years of renewal work, the parks now offer improved amenities, sight lines, safety and accessibility. The removal of the dividing wall allowed the City to create a more cohesive space for all Edmontonians to enjoy.

Improvements to Beaver Hills House Park include the Jasper Avenue Plaza with a reimagined Aboriginal Walk of Honour, a new fire feature with bench seating, reshaped planting beds and new informal seating walls. The Heart of the Park now features a central amphitheatre with public seating, a pet relief area and a children’s natural play space with a climbable beaver.

Additions to Michael Phair Park include a new busker stage, seating, landscaping, and park lighting.

A new washroom facility in Beaver Hills House Park is set to open this winter, with a bouldering wall following in spring 2026. Decorative lighting in Michael Phair Park is also scheduled for completion in spring 2026.

About the Project

Beaver Hills House Park and Michael Phair Park are two open spaces in Edmonton’s downtown. This project renewed aging infrastructure within the parks and improved the overall design and function. The goal of the renewal, in addition to repairing or replacing the existing infrastructure, is to improve safety and accessibility and increase the use of these open spaces in our downtown.

The project made improvements in lighting, sightlines and other park features, as well as upgraded and repaired park infrastructure. A new public washroom is expected to open in early 2026.

Project History

Project Update - November 2025

Construction is ongoing at the Beaver Hills House Park and Michael Phair Park.

The overall site is expected to be open to the public before the end of 2025.

The new washroom facility and the bouldering wall in the northeast corner of Beaver Hills House Park will not be complete when the park opens. Construction on those elements will continue in 2026.

The updated parks include a number of wonderful additions. An enhanced connection was built between both parks, including the partial removal of the pre-existing retaining wall. This opens sightlines and increases pedestrian safety.

Both parks, including the alley between the two sites, have also been upgraded with improved hardscaping.

Park-specific upgrades include:

Beaver Hills House Park
- Jasper Avenue Plaza
  - Renewed Aboriginal Walk of Honour installed on a new gabion wall
  - New seating and fire feature
  - A new public art feature will be placed on the corner of Jasper Avenue and 105 Street-coming in spring 2026
- Reshaped planting beds and new informal seating walls.
- Heart of the Park: a new amphitheatre in the centre of the park with formal and informal seating around its periphery
- Activated back corner featuring a new bouldering wall - coming in early 2026
- Children’s natural play feature with a climbable beaver
- New washroom facility - coming in early 2026
Michael Phair Park:
- New busker stage, seating, landscaping, and park lighting
- Decorative lighting. Installation is expected in spring 2026.

Project Update - May 2025

Due to the warmer weather, construction on Year 2 for Beaver Hills House Park and Michael Phair Park Renewal began sooner than expected. Construction started again in May 2025 and is expected to wrap up in fall 2025.

During 2025, a number of construction activities will take place:

Site grading and paving stone installation throughout both park sites.
Installation of the new playground in Beaver Hills House Park.
Installation of a new pet relief area in Beaver Hills House Park.
Completion of the amphitheatre in the centre of Beaver Hills House Park.
Completion of the new washroom building in Beaver Hills House Park.
New artwork in Beaver Hills House Park.
Installation of the new bouldering wall in the northeast corner of Beaver Hills House Park.
Construction of the busking stage in Michael Phair Park.
Completion of the Low Impact Development (soil cells) in the boulevard along 105 Street.
New site furniture, waste receptacles, bike racks and signage throughout both park sites.
Installation of lighting infrastructure throughout both park sites.
Installation of trees, shrubs, perennials, mulch, and sod throughout both park sites.

Please note, the pedestrian walkway along Jasper Avenue will be closed again during construction to allow for the removal of the temporary asphalt and the placement of the new paving stones. The pedestrian walkway along 105 Street will remain closed until late summer 2025. The east lane of 105 Street will close for a short period of time in June. Please follow all signage and crew direction in this active construction space.

Project Update - November 2024

Construction on the renewed Beaver Hills House Park and Michael Phair Park started in July 2024.

A new plaza, renewed planting beds and a children’s play area will be included in the renewed Beaver Hills House Park. Michael Phair Park will include a busking stage with new lighting and room for food trucks. The design includes enhanced connection between the two parks with the removal of the portion of the wall that existed between the two.

During the first construction season, many activities took place:

Construction fencing was erected.
Demolition and removal activities included the removal of the existing water feature, necessary tree removals, the removal of the existing washroom building and the partial removal of the existing retaining wall which used to separate the two park sites.
Many elements are being saved and protected in order to be re-installed in the new park space.
Low Impact Development (soil cells) have started being installed in the boulevard along 105 Street.
Civil servicing updates within 105 Street, Jasper Avenue and throughout the park site have been completed.
New utilities have been stubbed into where the new washroom building will be built.
Site grading has begun.
The new gabion wall to house the updated Aboriginal Walk of Honour has been built.
Piles have been installed to provide structural support to much of the new site infrastructure.

Throughout the winter months, the public will see work slow down, with only work occurring in the footprint of the new washroom building. Users should expect an uptake in construction activity in May 2025. The park is anticipated to re-open to the public in late fall of 2025.

Please note that the pedestrian walkway along Jasper Avenue has been re-opened to the public for the winter months. It will close again in the spring. The pedestrian walkway along 105 Street will remain closed well into summer 2025.

Project Update - June 2024

Beaver Hills House Park and Michael Phair Park are set to be renewed, with construction starting in summer 2024. A new plaza, renewed planting beds and a children’s play area will be included in the renewed Beaver Hills House Park. Michael Phair Park will include a busking stage with new lighting and room for food trucks. The design includes enhanced connection between the two parks with a removal of the portion of the wall that currently exists between the two.

The project team, along with the City forestry team, has determined some trees cannot be accessed for proper maintenance or are in poor condition. These trees will be removed in the last week of June. Per City of Edmonton policy, a bird sweep will take place before any tree is removed.

Existing, healthy trees will be preserved and we will plant new trees in locations with good growing conditions that are easily accessible for ongoing maintenance.

Fencing has gone up around the project site. Vehicle access along 105 Street will not be largely affected by construction, except when moving some equipment in and out of the site. Pedestrian access on the east side of 105 Street may be more readily impacted, so pedestrians are encouraged to use the west side of the street.

Project Update - April 2024

Beaver Hills House Park and Michael Phair park are soon to be renewed. The project team has concluded detailed design and construction-ready documents will go out for tender in early April 2024, in order to get a contractor for spring 2024 construction.

Construction is anticipated to take place over two years, completion is expected in fall 2025.

A What We Heard Report report for the final stage of engagement is now available.

Park Design Updates

When we completed engagement in August 2022, you told us the following considerations were the most important to you when renewing Beaver Hills House Park and Michael Phair Park:

Safety and security
Year-round use and activation

The Project Team has used these considerations, as well as City Policies and Programs and technical requirements, to develop the designs for both parks.

Project Update - May 2023

Thank you for engaging with us during the preliminary design engagement for Beaver Hills House Park and Michael Phair Park. Engagement was held from April 26 - May 17 and a What We Heard report will be made available in the coming months.

This was the final stage of engagement for both park renewals. The project team will now review all of the feedback provided, along with technical information and City policies and programs, to develop a final design. We will share that design when it is available. Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2024.

Project Update - November 2022

Thank you to everyone who participated in the public engagement opportunity in August 2022. The survey has now closed. A What We Heard Report summarizing the results of that engagement is available.

What We Heard Report

Telephone	311 Outside Edmonton call: 780-442-5311
Online	Contact 311 Online

Telephone

311

Outside Edmonton call: 780-442-5311

Online

Contact 311 Online

Extreme Weather Alert Activated

Parking Ban Declared

Beaver Hills House Park & Michael Phair Park Renewal

Project Update - December 2025

Detailed Design