As the Oilers try to overcome the hurdle that is the Kings in the first round of the playoffs, visitors to the downtown core, perhaps trying to catch the action, also face barriers.
Traffic on Jasper Avenue is being impacted by watermain and beautification work for 10 blocks.
North at the intersection of 124 Street and Stony Plain Road, westbound traffic is blocked entirely as the city works on LRT construction.
“Just when we thought it couldn’t get worse for downtown, it has again,” said Cheryll Watson, the chair of the Downtown Revitalization Coalition.
In addition to traffic woes, visitors who normally park downtown will find fewer blue parking payment machines as they continue to be phased out.
“Digital environment and tools and applications are the future, they are now, but the reality is that … 60 per cent of the people that are paying for parking are relying on the pay stations,” Watson said.
These issues are compounded by at least two events that are set to bring a plethora of people to downtown – the Oilers home playoff games.
The home team is down 0-2 in the series against the Los Angeles Kings, but being down a few games hasn’t stopped the Oilers from staying alive in the past.
Explore Edmonton estimates last year’s playoff run generated $280 million of economic activity in the city.
That was over the course of four series, including the Stanley Cup finals where the Oilers lost in Game 7 in Florida to the Panthers. That series accounted for $102 million of economic activity.
Even ahead of the first home game of the playoffs, Edmonton businesses are already seeing a boost.
“We’re seeing things build up as tensions get a little higher, everyone gets more excited to see how the Oilers do,” said Lauren Verret, the front of house manager at O’Byrne’s Ice District. “We’re gearing up for tomorrow night, it should be a big one.”
Game 3 starts at 8 p.m. Friday at Rogers Place.
“As a downtown resident, I can tell you that when I go out at night and I’m walking the streets, it is very different on playoff nights,” added Watson.
“There’s energy, there’s so many people here in Oilers jerseys, the bars, the restaurants are packed. You can just feel it.”
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson
