Bowness Park

I have a summer position at the Boathouse in Bowness Park, and every year I look forward to the arrival of summer so I can return to this role and spend time working outdoors. Being at the park has made me appreciate how beautifully the boathouse and its deck are designed. The deck feels intimate and welcoming, while also creating opportunities for excitement and refreshment through boating activities. From the deck, the flowing water, surrounding greenery, and vibrant human activities are all visible at once. Together, they create a living natural canvas where movement, colour, and interaction blend into a lively yet calming atmosphere. What makes this place memorable for me is how naturally it brings together recreation, landscape, and human connection, transforming an ordinary summer day into a shared and refreshing experience. Even during the winter season, the space continues to remain active through skating activities. As a winter city, Calgary embraces these seasonal experiences, but at Bowness Park they are arranged in a particularly intimate and accessible way through skate rentals and supportive facilities. This adaptability across seasons makes the space an excellent example of inclusive and people-oriented public design.

"I particularly remember visiting Bowness Park in Calgary during wintertime before sunset. As you slowly enter the park you are able to hear laughter, joy and happiness of kids, families and grandparent. You see teenagers come as a group, laughing and putting on their skates, grandparents helping children to slowly get on the ice, a mom with a stroller sitting on a bench enjoying her time with her baby while waving at her husband and her 3 years old laughing and skating. as it slowly gets dark, beautiful lights are turned on all around the park. Its simple magnificent and just like a fantasy world. You feel you are in a Disney cartoon. On the other side I see  a couple taking their engagement photos with these beautiful lit trees, and the scenery is heartwarming and simply beautiful. Some just came to walk their dogs, others are there to gather around the fire pits to have marshmallows, hot chocolate or like me a very good Persian tea with some delicious pastries with my family! Beautiful pathways are made all around the park with large trees fully wrapped in golden lights all the way to the top of the branches. It gives you a warm cozy feeling. There is skate rental service provided for all levels! The café is open for hot drinks and food while people are slowly putting wood in the fire pits that are placed all around the park. Smell of the burning wood, the light music, fresh breeze touching my face, the beautiful shiny ice all come together and create such an amazing feeling that makes you not want to leave!!! This place has become one of my favorite places to visit and I cannot wait till next winter to go there again. I even started learning skate simply because I want to go to this park all winter WHY? because this place offered something different, made me feel different? A place that anyone can enjoy and accessible to everyone. It is inclusive and overall, it has quality. For those of us who live in a cold weather knows that we really want to get out and be outdoor, but there are not many places to go that are inclusive and cozy. Not everyone participates in winter activities, but this park has something for anyone no matter if you skate or not. There are even many different games designed for everyone to enjoy! One of the great qualities of this park is that the walking path is parallel with the skating pathway that goes through the park and between the golden lit trees. This way you are able to walk, bike, roller skate, walk your dog, roll your wheelchair or stroller side by side with the ice skaters and enjoy the beauty of thousands of golden lights glowing in the dark. In a cold city like Calgary Bowness Park Ice Skating Rink is like a gem that shines during winter, and you are able to see the beauty of this park from very far and know that you want to be there!!!" (Booklet Positive Lived Experiences of Quality in the Built Environment 2023, p.202). Google map link: https://goo.gl/maps/AFzPa1Hcrcn8SkKG6 More details about the park: https://travelwiththesmile.com/blog/skating-bowness-park/