The Living Bridge Project in Edmonton was a community-led effort that began in 2012, when a handful of neighbours, artists, and local organizations transformed an old CN rail spur at 97 Street and 105 Avenue into a raised garden walkway open to everyone.
Inspired by ideas like New York’s High Line but shaped by Edmonton’s grit and generosity, the bridge connected McCauley, Boyle Street, and downtown with berry bushes, vegetable beds, and a place to gather.
For six growing seasons, volunteers tended the garden, shared the harvest, and built a sense of belonging right above the street.
In 2018, the project came to a close when the owners decided to repave the bridge for improved bike and pedestrian use — but many of its fruit shrubs found a new home in our OFRE Micro-Orchard, keeping its spirit alive in the heart of the city.
A Place Close to My Heart
The living bridge has a fondness in my heart.
I enjoyed many snacks there, from the Haskaps to the tomatoes.
I would pass it on the days I walked to work, while carefully reviewing the construction detailing on the new museum as it was being built.
For me, it was a gem in the city and spoke about rebuilding, transformation, and time.
Its proximity to city hall showcased the city’s progressive policies on urban farming, gardening, and temporary installations.
The fruits were shared by anyone who visited it, and it was maintained by diligent volunteers and community citizens.
The living bridge has now closed as the property owners want to repave the bridge.
My hope is that the paving will improve the bicycle connection to downtown from the northeast.
Moving the Garden Forward
The closing of the bridge meant that the shrubs and plants needed to be relocated, or would be tossed away.
The fruit shrubs were carefully removed from the garden by City of Edmonton (COE) employees and volunteers, and taken to various community gardens in the city, most in the McCauley area, as a way to ensure the plants were kept in the same community.
A noble response to a garden that provided the community with a temporary transformation of a dilapidated bridge.
Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton (OFRE) was the largest recipient with a total of 22 fruit-bearing shrubs being relocated to the OFRE Micro-Orchard, located on the north side of the Intercultural Center on 107A, between 96th and 97th street (the former site of the McCauley School).
The Micro-Orchard is the largest of its kind in Canada, and could easily handle the influx of fruit bushes.
The bridge garden included a variety of mature fruit shrubs that had been thriving there for years, such as:
- Haskaps
- Gooseberries
- Nanking cherries
- Red Currants
- Saskatoons
Digging In Together
The quality of the fruit bushes was outstanding and the root-balls were in good condition because of the limited growing depth on the bridge.
OFRE crews worked hard over a two-week time period to create and execute a plan, that would encompass a two-day work-bee to locate and plant the shrubs.
Mike Johnson, the Orchard Manager, took on the task, with the help of Amber Brant of OFRE, and Marcin Makarewicz, from the Edmonton Permaculture Guild.
The work could not have been done without the amazing work of the McCauley Revitalization co-ordinator, Jane Molstad.
A Living Legacy at the Orchard
The orchard is the home to OFRE where the organization puts on a variety of workshops from apple maggot prevention to proper fruit tree care and pruning.
The site is also breeding ground for popular events like the gargantuan potluck held in August each year and open cider pressings held bi-weekly during apple season for citizens to learn how to make cider with their excess fruit.
Check out our community events page for more information on dates and times.
OFRE is also working closely with the Edmonton Permaculture Guild (EPG) to create a place that pushes the boundaries of typical garden design and construction, and are a great resource for people looking to install food forests and wholistic agricultural practices.
The living bridge will live on in various gardens throughout the city, and OFRE is proud and honored to be part of this history.
OFRE will continue to push its vision of creating a community where all the fruit grown in the community is used productively.
We will try to build new bridges between the orchard and the surrounding community as we create a home and a place for everyone to enjoy the fruits of Edmonton.