Public workshop being held to help redevelop Beltline community park

Calgary, AB – The City of Calgary Parks is looking to redevelop the existing green space on 16 Avenue between 11 and 12 Street S.W., and would like to get input and feedback on the vision for the new space from Calgarians.

A public workshop will be held on Saturday, May 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the park site. The public will have opportunities to provide input and suggestions for how the space, once redeveloped, will address the community’s needs and add to its vibrancy.

“The renewed space will add more open, public green space to the Beltline,” says Anne Charlton, Parks Director. “From all the feedback and ideas we will receive through this workshop, we will be able to develop a clear vision for the site and a park design that can be enjoyed by all Calgarians.”

Currently, one half of the space is used by the Calgary Lawn Bowling Club. The other half has a picnic and sitting area, and a play area equipped with a small playground for use by kids in the community. In the fall (2015), the lawn bowling club will relocate to a new location in the southwest community of Spruce Cliff.

“The relocation of the lawn bowling club, along with a generous donation from the Thomson family, prompted the opportunity to develop the space into a larger neighbourhood park space that can be used by everyone,” says Charlton.

The Thomson family has provided a $2 million donation to The City of Calgary Parks to help redevelop the space. For the family, this particular park is close to their hearts as Joan Thomson grew up in the community. Joan married her husband, John, at the Grace Presbyterian Church just two blocks from the park.

“We’re delighted to receive this generous donation from Mrs. Thomson and her family,” says Charlton. “It will provide us with an opportunity to meet the needs of the community and enhance a park within the Beltline.”

Statement from the Thomson family:

“We are pleased to be able to be a part of this park’s redevelopment. For the family, this has been an ideal way of saying thank you to the community that has been a part of our lives for generations, and to give back to the people who currently live there.

We hope this renewed park space will provide the neighbourhood with a place to socialize, meet and enjoy nature. Most importantly, we want it to be a place that is well designed to meet the needs of the community.”

For more information about the park's redevelopment, please visit calgary.ca/westconnaughtpark.