It’s official, 50 Avenue in Lacombe is a Great Street in Canada. On Nov. 8, Lacombe was announced as the winner of the Canadian Institute of Planners Great Places in Canada contest ‘Great Streets’ category for its historic 50 Ave.
Mayor of Lacombe Steve Christie said Lacombians should be proud of this achievement. Christie also repeated that he sees the achievement as further proof Lacombe is the best place to live in Canada, something he said when Lacombe was named a finalist in the contest.
Planner for the City of Lacombe Jen Kirchner, who nominated Lacombe’s historic main street for the contest, said she never thought her idea would get this far.
She said it was evidence of how deeply Lacombians care for their City... ...Winning the Great Street Award holds special significance for both Lacombe and its main street, said Kirchner.
Both she and Christie commented on how Lacombe won this award not only by votes, but by the scores of professional planners as well. That means the City’s existing plans and things like historical preservation were taken into account along with the votes made on the web site.
Christie also said that it shows that the planning and administrative staff at the City of Lacombe are working hard and doing a great job. Kirchner agreed and said that recognition extends to the community at large.
Both Kirchner and Christie also commented on how the award proves Lacombe can compete on a national scale, even with communities much larger than itself.
Lacombe was chosen out of four finalists; Goderich, Ontario’s Courthouse Square, Kelowna, British Columbia’s Bernard Avenue and Edmonton’s 104 Street, for the award.
To commemorate this accomplishment, the City of Lacombe will be presented with a plaque, which should be ready sometime in February of the new year. Kirchner said an event to officially recognize the achievement is being planned.
From the Lacombe Express