“You can’t step into the same river twice.” – Heraclitus
Rivers shape cities and cities shape rivers. Rivers change and cities change. A city can be defined by its relationship with its rivers. How the rivers are managed and engaged. How freely they flow and how freely they can be connected with.
The Bow River in Calgary, Alberta is constantly changing. On a yearly basis its flow will vary from 50 cubic metres per second (cms) to 250cms. In recorded history, it has seen flows over 3000cms and recently saw 1780cms in devasting flood in 2013. As a young city, Calgary’s relationship with its rivers is also constantly changing as the city matures and evolves. The Harvie Passage Park project exemplifies the city’s balanced approach to infrastructure needs with riparian ecology, recreation, and enjoyment.
Located in the inner-city community of Inglewood in Calgary, Alberta, Harvie Passage Park is a place that connects people to the history of southern Alberta through infrastructure and recreation along the Bow River. The origins of Harvie Passage trace back to the 1904 construction of Harvie Passage Weir, critical infrastructure that diverted water into the Western Irrigation District Canal to support agriculture east of Calgary. However, this man-made weir posed a significant risk to water users, earning it the ominous nickname “the drowning machine.” The province acted in 2012 to enhance public safety by constructing a side channel to circumvent the weir. While this work was set to achieve its objectives, a devastating flood in 2013 completely obliterated the recently completed project, necessitating a new approach.
Around this time, O2 was working with The City of Calgary on a master plan project for 100 hectares of adjacent park space and came to join the engineering team, led by Klohn Crippen Berger, working for the province on the weir redesign. The surrounding park spaces offer a vibrant mix of gathering spaces in formal and natural settings, along with a federally designated bird sanctuary, and numerous historic sites of cultural significance. The opportunity to create a special place along the river as part of this infrastructure was readily apparent and desired by a large number of interested groups, particularly river recreation enthusiasts.
Working in collaboration with multiple levels of government, hydraulic engineers, fishery organizations, biologists, and a consortium of river users, O2 shaped user experiences on the water and on the land, creating a place where visitors can engage the river in both leisure and adventure. Working with river kayakers, the passage now includes a world-class whitewater course that is also fitting for the casual river user in rafts, canoes, or just a life jacket. The reshaped bank provides numerous stone ledges for seating, picnicking, people watching and toe-dipping, drawing large crowds of adventurers and families to experience the flow of the river.
Interspersed through the reinforced bank are areas of bioengineering and riparian planting that support biodiversity and habitat for fish and other wildlife. Divide Island has been completely restored using diverse and innovative restoration strategies, recreating an ecological system that was destroyed by the 2013 flood. New plantings, cuttings, and live staking are complemented by strategically placed dead wood and boulders to shape new habitats and stabilize the banks.
The redesign of Harvie Passage has effectively transformed a once perilous drop over a challenging man-made weir into a highly sought-after destination that fosters inclusivity within the water recreation community. The project plays a crucial role in addressing barriers to outdoor recreation, particularly for marginalized demographics by providing an inclusive space that does not impose additional financial burdens, enhancing accessibility for Calgary residents and creating a more equitable outdoor recreational environment.
Safety and wayfinding were critical to the project’s vision and subsequent success. O2 developed a wayfinding and interpretive signage program to guide park and river users safely through the white-water features and connecting people to the history of this place.
The park has been embraced to such an extent that the number of users has significantly exceeded initial expectations and has become a favored destination, drawing a diverse range of users beyond the passage itself. This has instigated an examination of enhancements in adjacent parks to meet the growing interest, and the initiation of new projects along other stretches of the Bow River to replicate the success of this space. Future contemplated work includes a riverside boat house, upgraded washroom facilities, park amenities, and additional riparian habitat restoration.
• Project typology: park, infrastructure, flood resilience, restoration, riverbanks, waterfronts
• All landscape architecture offices involved in the design of landscape: O2 Planning and Design Inc.
• All architecture offices involved in the design: n/a
• Other credits you need or wish to write:
Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd (Project Management, civil design and construction)
Northwest Hydraulics Consultant Ltd (Physical and numeric hydraulics and river morphology)
Recreation Engineering and Planning (Recreational hydraulics)
SG1 Water Consulting Ltd (Hydraulics and recreational hydraulics)
Mr. Charles Walbridge (Aquatic Safety Specialist)
Terra Erosion Control Ltd. (Bioengineering senior review)
