PROJECT INFORMATION
The City has purchased a plot of undeveloped land at Calgary’s northern edge. This land is to be used in the future as a regional park and a cemetery as the city continues to develop in that area.
We’re in the preliminary planning stages of these amenities and want to get feedback on how you’d like to use this regional park in the area. We are also exploring innovative approaches to the way a cemetery is developed and used, and would like to ask you some questions about that.
Please note these projects are currently unfunded – your feedback will help us understand how to plan these spaces, including estimates on the budgets required to develop the regional park and the cemetery.
Please read through the examples of cemeteries in other cities in the first tab below, "How cemeteries have adapted over time". The second tab below has some information about what activities and amenities we currently have in some regional parks in Calgary.
You can provide your input on the third tab, "Please provide us with your input".
How cemeteries have adapted over time
Many cities in North America are starting to use cemeteries in new and unique ways to get more value from those green spaces. Here are some examples of how cities are using existing cemeteries in North America.
Australia’s Bunurong Memorial Park is a unique sanctuary, set within contemporary Australian parkland with unique touches at every turn. Purpose-built for the community to enjoy, there's a modern alfresco cafe, children's playground, distinctive art pieces and walking paths that help you experience its vast beauty.
Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford, Connecticut, this is one of many cemeteries embracing more public use. They allow visitors to run, bicycle, and walk dogs. Among their robust calendar of social events, there are jazz concerts, lantern tours, bird walks, and movie screenings on the grounds to honor famous residents like actress Katherine Hepburn.
Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn gives new meaning to the term living history. The historic cemetery is the final resting place for many New Yorkers and, in recent years, has become energized by the living as a hot date night spot. Year round, the cemetery invites people to take a themed trolley ride around the 478 acres of hilly land, sign up for whiskey tastings, tour the catacombs, or watch old movies.
Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston has gone to the dogs. Visitors can not only walk their dogs around the grounds, but they can also go on dog walk tours of the cemetery’s animal sculptures.
Atlanta’s Oakland Cemetery, owned by the city’s parks department and run by a foundation, is one of the city’s oldest public spaces. It’s the final resting place of notable city leaders, whose lives and legacies are remembered on guided walking tours of the grounds. Oakland is planning the fourth annual “Tunes From the Tombs” event, a music festival that draws around 4,000 people. They hold an annual 5k run, “Run Like Hell,” and a Halloween tour, a practice that has become popular in many cemeteries.
Regional Parks in Calgary
Here are some examples of regional parks in the city of Calgary. Each park consists of different park features. These will give you an idea of what is possible to build and sustain in Calgary's environment.
Prairie Winds Park ( 40 Acres )
Prairie Winds Park is a vital part of Calgary's northeast communities. This large destination park was redeveloped in 2016/2017 with added features including the playscape and upgraded wading pool.
Park Features:
- Basketball courts
- Cricket pitch
- Fitness stations
- Playscape - with zipline, running bowl & concrete wave
- Pathways
- Picnic areas
- Picnic shelter with tandoori oven
- Soccer field
- Tennis courts
- Toboggan hill
- Wading pool/spray park
- Winter skating
Stanley Park Area ( 52 Acres )
Located along the Elbow River in southwest Calgary, Stanley Park is a favourite destination place for picnicking, swimming, canoeing, tobogganing and lawn bowling.
Park Features:
- Sports field
- Tennis courts
- Playground areas
- Pathways
- Picnic areas and BBQ stands
- Toboggan Hill
- Washrooms (seasonal)
- Water fountains (seasonal)
- Fishing, canoe/raft access to the Elbow River
- Outdoor swimming pool with wading pool
- Lawn bowling facility - home to the Stanley Park Lawn Bowling Club (public welcome)
- Contains Princess Obolensky Park
Riley Park Area ( 22 Acres )
Riley Park is a beautiful destination park in northwest Calgary within walking distance from the Kensington shopping district. The park contains a cricket pitch, wading pool and the Senator Patrick Burns Memorial Rock Garden.
Park Features:
- Cricket pitch
- Wading pool
- Senator Patrick Burns Memorial Rock Gardens
- Picnic tables
- Playground
- Washrooms (seasonal)
- Water fountains (seasonal)
- Concession (independently operated)
