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The end may be near for the “End of the World” as we know it.
Keillor Point — which for years was also known as “End of the World” — sits at the top of the riverbank in the Belgravia neighbourhood.
It’s above the remains of Keillor Road, which was closed to traffic in 1994 before crumbling into the river valley due to erosion.
Now, the City of Edmonton says what claimed the road three decades ago is now affecting the viewpoint below Saskatchewan Drive, between 74 Avenue and 76 Avenue.
This summer’s record-setting rainfalls in June and July worsened the slope instability at the Keillor Point viewing area, which the city built into an official spot after decades of people clandestinely visiting the lookout in the North Saskatchewan River valley.
The fenced-off area was restricted and regularly patrolled — but it didn’t deter those looking to take in the view and party at the secluded spot, where visitors got to by going down a steep section of embankment.
For years, the city tried to stop people from going to the scenic and remote spot offering a breathtaking view of the river valley and west Edmonton, but eventually conceded — adopting an “if you can’t beat them, join them” mentality when it became clear signs forbidding entry were doing little to deter visitors.
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City council approved engineering work on the lookout in 2017 and a staircase, hand railing, formalized viewing area and granular trail opened in 2019. The lookout was officially renamed Keillor Point.
The viewpoint was built to make the space safer and protect people from falling down the steep embankment or getting injured on exposed rebar and deteriorating concrete.
Before the city built the current lookout, large pillars of an old retaining wall formed a makeshift ledge to sit on.
On Wednesday, the city said since construction of the viewing platform about eight years ago, regular geotechnical inspections and monitoring have confirmed continued deterioration of the slopes due to erosion and localized instability.
The massive amount of rain this summer accelerated that deterioration, the city said.
The current viewing platform is supported by the remnants of a pile wall originally installed to stabilize a portion of Keillor Road.
“The extreme conditions this summer caused additional loss of support for the structure,” the city said.
No plan to fix the current issues has been released.
The city has installed barricades and temporary signs to prevent access to an extended portion of the viewing area and platform. Permanent signs with additional info will be installed soon, the city said.
The site will be regularly inspected to monitor conditions and public safety risks, and the city said further engineering work will “help inform longer-term options for the viewing area.”
In 2015, the city conducted a survey on “The End of the World.” A total of 2,568 citizens participated and 2,282 completed the survey, including nearly 600 Belgravia residents.
About half of the respondents had been to the site in the previous year and many came to enjoy the unrestricted view.
The main concerns for respondents were the height of the fence and whether the site would lose its “natural” feel.
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