Bowness Park, Calgary
Encyclopedia
Bowness Park is a 30 hectares (74.1 acre) urban park
on the Bow River
in Bowness, a neighbourhood in the north-west quadrant of the City of Calgary
. It is popular in the summer for picnics and boating, and in winter for ice skating on the lagoon and the canal which feeds it.
, as part of a deal to secure the extension of streetcar service into Bowness Estates, which he was developing as an exclusive suburb. The land consisted of two islands in the Bow River, separated from the south bank by a narrow channel, now dammed off to create a lagoon and small canal.
Although hardly any development took place in Bowness before the end of the second world war, Bowness Park itself was extremely popular, thanks in part to the streetcar service which took Calgarians right to the door at a time when automobiles were rare. In the 20's and 30's service on summer weekends was every 15 minutes and it was estimated that on a fine weekend up to 25,000 people would visit the park, with 28 streetcars being assigned to handle the traffic. Streetcar service was maintained from 1913 through 1950.
Facilities in the park in the early days were extensive. There was a swimming pool, the lagoon for canoeing and boating (with a fountain and central phonograph “playing gentle music”), a large dancing pavilion, a merry-go-round (now in Calgary's Heritage Park
), picnic tables and shelters, swings and teeter-totters, camping sites and cabins which could be rented by the week or month and later a scenic railway. The following extract from a 1919 newspaper article gives some idea of the atmosphere at the time:
The summer cottages at the park were often rented by families as a summer retreat, beginning in the early 20's until they were removed in 1946.
Many of the former attractions are gone today: the swimming pool was closed in 1959, dancing ceased in 1960, and the Orthophonic, as the phonograph was called, stopped beaming out its music in 1961.
A playground is built in the east side of the park, and the Bow River pathway
crosses the parks length. The park is used for launching boats on the Bow River.
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
on the Bow River
Bow River
The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....
in Bowness, a neighbourhood in the north-west quadrant of the City of Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
. It is popular in the summer for picnics and boating, and in winter for ice skating on the lagoon and the canal which feeds it.
History
Land for the park was donated to the City of Calgary in 1911 by John HextallJohn Hextall
John Hextall was a landowner who founded the community of Bowness, now part of Calgary, Canada.-Early life:John Hextall was born in 1861 at Canonbury House in Islington, London, England, the fourth child of a wealthy silk merchant. After training as a solicitor, he married Alice Delphine Dunn in...
, as part of a deal to secure the extension of streetcar service into Bowness Estates, which he was developing as an exclusive suburb. The land consisted of two islands in the Bow River, separated from the south bank by a narrow channel, now dammed off to create a lagoon and small canal.
Although hardly any development took place in Bowness before the end of the second world war, Bowness Park itself was extremely popular, thanks in part to the streetcar service which took Calgarians right to the door at a time when automobiles were rare. In the 20's and 30's service on summer weekends was every 15 minutes and it was estimated that on a fine weekend up to 25,000 people would visit the park, with 28 streetcars being assigned to handle the traffic. Streetcar service was maintained from 1913 through 1950.
Facilities in the park in the early days were extensive. There was a swimming pool, the lagoon for canoeing and boating (with a fountain and central phonograph “playing gentle music”), a large dancing pavilion, a merry-go-round (now in Calgary's Heritage Park
Heritage Park Historical Village
Heritage Park Historical Village is a historical park located in Calgary, Alberta. The park is located on of parkland on the banks of the Glenmore Reservoir, along the city's southwestern edge. As Canada's largest living history museum by number of exhibits, it is one of the city's most visited...
), picnic tables and shelters, swings and teeter-totters, camping sites and cabins which could be rented by the week or month and later a scenic railway. The following extract from a 1919 newspaper article gives some idea of the atmosphere at the time:
“The new ferry, which will cross the original boating lake just west of the swimming pool, will supply a want which was badly felt last season. It is expected … that the boys and girls will have a great time on this ferry. It will enable the young people as well as the older ones to shoot across the lake from the grand stand to the refreshment cottage and merry-go-round, without having to tramp around by the lovers' walk or the path at the foot of the lake.”
The summer cottages at the park were often rented by families as a summer retreat, beginning in the early 20's until they were removed in 1946.
Many of the former attractions are gone today: the swimming pool was closed in 1959, dancing ceased in 1960, and the Orthophonic, as the phonograph was called, stopped beaming out its music in 1961.
Bowness Park today
Boats are still available for rent on the lagoon, the fountain has been reinstalled, and the lagoon is used extensively for skating in the winter. In summer, the picnic sites and open spaces for ball games are popular, as is a mini-golf. Modest redevelopment is proposed in a 2008 plan.A playground is built in the east side of the park, and the Bow River pathway
Bow River pathway
The Bow River pathway is a pathway system developed along the banks of the Bow River in the city of Calgary. It contains a network of pedestrian and bicycle paths connecting parks on both sides of the river....
crosses the parks length. The park is used for launching boats on the Bow River.