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Alex Decoteau Park honours Canada’s first Aboriginal police officer
The City of Edmonton recently unveiled its latest green space, Alex Decoteau Park, named after Canada’s first Aboriginal police officer, who joined Edmonton Police Service in 1909.
September 21, 2017 By Staff
Located on the northwest corner of 105 Street and 102 Avenue, the 0.35 hectare park features:
• Open green space made of a turf, separated by bands of decorative concrete
• A community garden with raised planters, a shed and a composter
• A fenced off-leash dog park with dog friendly surfacing and trash receptacles
• In-ground water fountains with programmable water displays
• Public art
A committee made up of area businesses and residents worked in close consultation with the City of Edmonton in the park design, according to the city.
Decoteau was “well known for his athleticism, as he was a spectacular long-distance runner,” the city states online.
He won most major western Canadian races between 1909 and 1916, and even earned a place on Canada’s Olympic team to compete in the 5000-metre race in Stockholm in 1912.
At the start of the Second World War in 1916, Decoteau enlisted in the Canadian Army. He first served with the 202nd Infantry Battalion, then later with the 49th Battalion. After arriving in France in 1917, Decoteau was killed in the Battle of Passchendaele.
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