Lightning strikes north Edmonton sidewalk
Posted July 23, 2026 5:35 pm.
Last Updated July 24, 2026 5:33 pm.
A north Edmonton sidewalk has been thunderstruck.
It happened Saturday night, with residents along 129 Avenue and 129 Street saying fire crews were called after lightning struck the area.
One neighbour says she felt the roar of thunder and crack of lightning caused a power line to collapse.
But when the rain cleared, they saw a giant hole in the sidewalk.
“Oh, we were terrified; the sounds and it was scary,” said Joddi Davis. “I’m from southern Alberta; I moved here in December, and the storms are nothing like I’ve ever seen down there.”
The city has already repaired a damaged fire hydrant.
“The sidewalk remains open and has been marked with safety awareness with high-visibility paint. Maintenance teams have submitted a permit request to perform underground work,” said the City in a statement.
The City adds it could take two more weeks to replace the sidewalk, which has developed a bit of a cult following.
Radio host Lauren Hunter from CityNews’ sister station Sonic 102.9 is installing these signs to mark the occasion.
The city says the sidewalk won’t be destroyed, instead sent to researchers at the University of Alberta.
Lightning has kept fire crews busy. So far this month, firefighters have been called to 11 lightning-caused fires.
