WATCH ABOVE: A grand reopening celebration for one of the city’s oldest and grandest attractions was held on Saturday. Bowness Park threw open its gates, welcoming back a city that has missed its favourite park since the 2013 flood destroyed a multimillion dollar renovation.Doug Vaessen reports.
CALGARY – More than a year and a half after floodwaters swamped Bowness Park, renovations are finally complete.
The popular meeting spot reopened on Saturday and the city hosted a big bash to mark the occasion.
Calgarians were invited to skate or roast marshmallows and there were speeches from city officials.
With the Bownesians belting out original tunes, it was time to party and hundreds showed up to do just that.
“We are here to enjoy the festivities and enjoy this new park; it looks awesome,” Michelle said.
It’s a welcome back for one of Calgary’s favourite locations, as a major facelift is almost complete.
“It’s huge; Bowness Park has been here for over 100 years. It’s been not just for Bowness but the rest of the city an opportunity to get out into nature, have a picnic, come ice skating and get them to the river so its great to see,” Duncan Meade from the Bowness Community Association said.
But if you look closely, you can still see evidence of the 2013 flood – the city had just started its renovations when over two metres of water surged through the park with devastating results.
“I was astounded. I had no idea what we were going to see when the water finally receded and it was a mess,” said Doug Marter from the city’s parks department. “There was silt everywhere, there were areas that collapsed.”
The picnic area has been enhanced; better parking and flood mitigation have been added.
The teahouse and restaurant are expected to open by the fall, and there are plans for a water park.
But until the spring melt, the skating pond will be the star attraction.
“Everybody is out enjoying it, doing what it was intended to do, so I think it’s a great moment for me,” said Marter. “This is the best thing I could see happen.”
Before the flood, Bowness Park welcomed 20,000 visitors a day.
READ MORE: Bowness Park to undergo multimillion makeover
12 million dollars had been put aside for a complete redevelopment of the park, but when flooding hit thousands of tonnes of debris were washed downstream into the park.
“The force was so strong it picked up the old boathouse and the docks and pushed it in the small lagoon through the trees,” Councillor Ward Sutherland said last May.
READ MORE: Bowness street festival welcome break for flood ravaged community
Jim Maidment lives across the way from Bowness Park and says it’s a dramatic change.
“It was just a small concrete building there and now it’s just beautiful. We’ve got all this rubber flooring here, these little fire-pits.”
The money for redevelopment of the 100-year-old park came from the Community Investment Fund.
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