Griesbach’s story goes beyond streetlights — it’s shaped by soldiers. The north Edmonton neighbourhood was home to thousands of Canadian Forces personnel from 1950 to the mid-1990s. Named after Canadian Major-General William Antrobus Griesbach, the base was key in Edmonton’s defence history.
Today the majority of the former base has been redeveloped; but there is one northeast section that will be transformed in the years to come.
Anjali Varghese, director of real estate at Canada Lands Company says the historical Canadian Forces Base housing has reached the end of its useful life. Residents of these units were informed more than two years ago they’d have to vacate and Canada Lands provided a resident transition co-ordinator to help relocation. Now, removal of the CFB units is underway, with a third of the 525 units already vacated.
As plans for northeast Griesbach progress, Erin Rutherford, city councillor for Ward Anirniq, emphasizes community engagement in shaping the redevelopment.
“As somebody that’s very connected with the community … I have not heard concerns about the (redevelopment) design or what is being proposed,” Rutherford says. “Everybody that’s lived in Griesbach has always known this area was going to be (re)developed. I think they felt they had the opportunity to participate in the engagement.”
The northeast corner is “the last major area” within Griesbach to be redeveloped, Varghese says. She describes Griesbach as a “great neighbourhood” with an “amazing” park and architectural system.
Redevelopment by Canada Lands will build on these strengths, while creating a denser environment integrated with existing developments. The area will feature approximately 2,100 new units — a mix of single-family homes, row-housing and townhouses, and medium- density (four-to-six storey) apartment buildings. A minimum of 20 per cent of them will be affordable (meaning they’ll cost less than 30 per cent of a household’s before-tax income).
The project surpasses Edmonton’s 16 per cent affordable housing target, which Rutherford calls a testament to Canada Lands’ commitment to a “welcoming and inviting” Griesbach.
Thoughtful urban planning also guides the redevelopment. “We want to make sure the higher density sites are well integrated … located and designed in a way that helps frame public spaces … that we’re careful about the urban design, how we transition spaces, what kind of space it runs onto, what’s the scale of different buildings, how they interact with each other, and the space around it,” Varghese says.
The redevelopment will include smaller parks, plazas, and pedestrianized streets — all fulfilling “goals that Edmontonians have told [the city] they want to see Edmonton grow towards,” Rutherford says. The spaces will be inclusive of different abilities and ages, and “for all seasons,” Varghese adds.
Decisions on the number, features and locations of the parks are still being finalized. Neighbourhoods in Edmonton are required to dedicate a minimum 10 per cent of land to park space — Griesbach currently has more than 23 per cent.
The northeast area won’t have large-scale parks that are already found in the rest of Griesbach. It will instead feature easy-to-access, smaller parks connected to the existing park network via pedestrian and bike paths — ensuring everyone has a green space just around the corner. The redevelopment will introduce “active mode corridor” streetscapes — pedestrian-focused and human-scaled — to the northeast corner, aligning with Griesbach’s existing treed, widened boulevards.
The 155-acre development will unfold over the next 10 to 15 years. After demolishing existing units, Canada Lands will implement systems such as sewage and water. Parcels will be available for private builders to break ground in 2026 and Varghese says the first residents could unpack boxes in 2027.
“In Griesbach, one of the things we’ve done historically, and we look to do going forward, is taking a customized approach … (with) opportunities to do something special and unique.”
This article appears in the April 2025 issue of Edify
