“There would be people sleeping on the bridge. Lots of debris and graffiti…Students really avoided using this bridge,” said Spruce Avenue School’s Nikki Houde.
EPS stepped in when the community became concerned about a drug house in the area. Edmonton Police along with Alberta Sheriffs shutdown the drug house. But EPS and community wanted to do more.
“What we wanted to do with this project was we wanted to reclaim this bridge for the community,” said Sgt Andrew Weaver.
“THIS IS THEIR HOME. THIS IS THEIR LAND”
The idea was to give the pedestrian bridge a facelift using artwork from students of Spruce Avenue School. That’s how the Bridge of Reconciliation Project started. A multi-pronged partnership was born involving Spruce Avenue School, The EPS and its Neighborhood Empowerment Team (NET) partners, which includes the City of Edmonton, The Family Centre and the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region.
“THE WHOLE COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER TO GET THE BRIDGE DONE”
The Edmonton Police Foundation donated funds for special paint and the City of Edmonton covered the cost of labour and installation. However, it was the students who played a key role in producing the artwork. In the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, the school worked with local Indigenous Elder Francis Whiskeyjack and his teaching of the Medicine Wheel.
“I came there to honour them by looking at their work and giving feedback,” said Whiskeyjack.
The art that the students produced is based on their interpretations of the Medicine Wheel teachings.
“They understood everything. The unity. The way everything flows and how everything is connected… This is such a diverse community that I wanted the students to understand that we're all represented. It's an Indigenous teaching, but everybody's in the medicine wheel,” said Houde.
“THEY TOOK IN SO MUCH MORE THAN I THOUGHT”
The pedestrian bridge is now adorned with artwork and it’s not a coincidence that its unveiling comes during the same week as The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
“It’s great to honour these two celebrations. The celebration of opening the bridge to provide safety for young people, but also to acknowledge Orange Shirt Day,” said Whiskeyjack.
EPS members who patrol the area hope this becomes a legacy project for the students of Spruce Avenue School.
“We’ll be working with the Spruce Avenue Community League to keep this project alive for many years,” said Sgt. Weaver.