It’s now known as Keillor Point Viewing Area and it’s the End of the World as we know it.
The newly-constructed lookout near Saskatchewan Drive and 74th Avenue opened to the public Friday after construction started in late October.
A staircase, viewing platform and a gravel trail were added to the popular lookout in the Belgravia neighbourhood as part of a $1.5 million project.
“This is really nice and this really opens it up to the public,” area resident Jennifer Lambert said Friday. “We’re hoping that it will reduce the parties that are happening in the middle of the night, which are kind of a concern.”
“It’s an amazing view; it’s quite a panorama,” Belinda Waeland said. “They’ve left the concrete, the look. The fencing is kind of industrial.”
Belinda Waeland and Mark Wilson stand on the stairs leading to the Keillor Point Viewing Area in Belgravia. (Trevor Wilson/CBC)
The area became known as the End of the World among Edmontonians who frequently posed for photos on the large concrete pillars once part of a retaining wall for the former Keillor Road.
Signs restricting access went up in 2005 due to crumbling slopes, but many people ignored the no-trespassing signs.
As a result, in June 2017 city councillors decided to formally develop the area as a lookout.
“I think the city’s done a really good job at striking a balance between leaving areas of the city natural but also allowing people to get close to nature,” said Mark Wilson, who lives in the area.
“Now that accessibility is easier for folks, it’ll be nice to see a wide range of people enjoying the area,” Wilson said.
The new lookout is open from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m., the same hours as all city parks.