Sloping gently down to the banks of the mighty North Saskatchewan River, McDougall Hill at the periphery of downtown Edmonton has long been something of a barrier, both geographic and mental, between the bustling city centre and the peaceful repose of the river. First traversed at the turn of the last century for industrial uses, and then for public access, the path of least resistance between downtown and the river has been a point of civic interest for more than a century.

Crowds line the streets in anticipation of the Royal Visit, 1939, public domain archival image

Viewed above, the archival image from the late 1930s was likely captured on the event of the 1939 Royal Visit by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Clearly visible up top, the Hotel Macdonald along with an anonymous, long-gone structure, sit alone against the sky, theirs the only silhouettes visible at this time. 

The same view today, with less people and more buildings, image retrieved via Google Street View

Contrasting with the same vantage point as seen today, two things are immediately clear: the first being the total absence of people, the hill itself as barren as it was 75 years ago, and the second being the obvious additions to the skyline. Where once there sat but two lonely buildings, there is now a significantly fuller cityscape. 

MRVA as it will appear once complete, image via Dialog Architects

The current arrangement will soon be quite different, however, thanks to the ongoing construction of the Mechanized River Valley Access (MRVA) Project, which will involve the addition of a large funicular to McDougall Hill, connecting users from the Macdonald Hotel to the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, thus bringing to a close more than a century of civic efforts to connect the city to its best natural resource. 

Edmonton Incline Railway, postcard view, c. 1908, public domain archival image

Finally, taking another step back in time, our final image reveals the first attempt at connecting Edmontonians to the North Saskatchewan River. The ill-fated Edmonton Incline Railway of 1908 ceased operations after just five years citing financial difficulties. While nowhere near as sophisticated as today's MRVA, the same basic mechanical principles applied, with users, along with their horses and wagons, able to make the trek up and down the hillside with aid of a motorized funicular. While only time will tell what the fate of the MRVA's ridership and success will be, it is interesting to note just how long locals have been dreaming of a way to bridge the gap between the city lights and the scenery down below. 

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