The Edmonton Rat-Hole: Gone but not Forgotten.
Downtown Edmonton has changed a lot in the past ¼ century. The most notable change within my lifetime (so far), was the development of the new ice district and all the fancy buildings and events that come with it. But downtown used to be much more industrial, with rail yards abundant, and a lot less focus on the “entertainment hub” we see today. In the process of this redevelopment, we lost a fantastic part of Edmonton History, the coloquially known “Rat-Hole” or 109 Street Tunnel. Unfortunately, I was not alive at the time that this tunnel was in use and therefore never was able to experience the Rat-Hole in it’s full glory. This, while being quite unfortunate, grants me the opportunity to educate others who also were not alive in the “Rat-Hole Era”.
Built in 1927, this tunnel ran underneath the CN Downtown rail yard, near where MacEwan University now stands. The two lane, low-clearance tunnel served as a thoroughfare from Kingsway to Downtown for over 70 years. There was also a love-hate relationship with residents and the tunnel. The Rat-Hole was extremely prone to flooding, the narrow passage did little to alleviate traffic, and there were no safe pedestrian crossings. While all of these are genuine problems, the Rat-Hole still held a special place in people’s hearts. In the year 2000, a project for a new 6 lane at-grade 109 Street was greenlit and the tunnel was subsequently closed (definitely a transportation planning win, but where is the whimsy?). Mayor Bill Smith celebrated along Edmontonians with a parade of cars from each decade the tunnel served.
Although it would be fun to propose we bring the Rat-Hole back, and restore this historical treasure, it was ultimately a good-call to get rid of it. Lincoln Ho from YEGVentures, has a great video about the rat-hole, which is what inspired me to write this piece. So next time you are on 109 Street, remember what we had and what could have been. R.I.P Rat-Hole.
-Written by Beth Bennett
(Photo courtesy of Nelson Webb on Flickr)