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Changing the way people use a piece of land is a complex process, especially in a
place where keeping up with the rapid pace of change takes all the energy citizens
have. But this is the challenge Rachelle Haddock took on when she and fellow
students agreed to work with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo to revitalize
Waterways, one of Fort McMurray’s oldest riverside neighbourhoods.
“I came to the U of C because this master’s program requires students to go beyond
traditional research and apply their findings to real-world problems,” says Haddock,
a second-year master’s student in the Faculty of Environmental Design. “This project
is especially exciting because we hope our recommendations will catalyze citizen
involvement in the creation of a new community plan, and, in the long run, serve to guide
a new area redevelopment plan for Waterways.”
With a Bachelor of Science in natural resources conservation and a wealth of experience
in the not-for-profit conservation world, Haddock had a unique perspective on the project.
“There is a lot of research that gathers dust on shelves. This project allowed us to carry
out research and begin generating solutions to some of the problems I came across
when I was working,” says Haddock. “It isn’t learning in a vacuum. It’s real work, with
potentially significant impacts.”
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Mayor Melissa Blake asked the students to create
a conceptual design to reconnect the Waterways neighbourhood with the Clearwater
River in a way that would excite both city planners and citizens. The hope is to create a
combined natural and built gathering place that nurtures a much-desired sense of
community, while encouraging city planners to reconsider how development could
proceed along Fort McMurray’s long-neglected waterfronts.
“We want to revitalize the bustling riverside community that once existed,” says
Haddock. “We’ll know we’ve been successful when we have inspired the people of Fort
McMurray to look at the future of their community differently.”
“Not only have I built up an incredible portfolio piece,” says Haddock, “but I’ve learned
how to engage in a new way of thinking, how to present my work visually, and how to
work with others to create an incredible end product that has potential to make a real
difference. I believe I’m going to re-enter the job market with an improved skill set and
a proven ability to approach complex problems from a different perspective.”
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