Sharing Spaces

Prince's Island Park and Wetlands

• Parking: Paid public lot east of Calgary Curling Club
• Washrooms: none



Bow Tower reflected in the wetlands.

• Paved and dirt path

Today I immersed myself in a deliberate marriage between nature and city life, walking through the wetlands of Prince's Island.  The main park is a landscaped island on the Bow River, and hosts a variety of summer festivals and celebrations, but at the east end there's a quiet wetland area.  

Bird song and the rushing river blend with the sounds of downtown's morning rush hour, public art stands side by side with wildflowers and office towers frame the views of the ponds.  Maybe it's my familiarity with this park, but this little wild oasis seems to fit quite comfortably in the urban landscape.

I had planned to walk farther than I did, but now I find myself stopping more and more often on these walks, watching, listening, smelling. 

 I think I'm learning how to slow down and be still.

Wild flowers alongside . . . 

I remember reading a sign in Nose Hill Park: "Take a moment to stop and look" it read, "You may see a deer . . .".  I stopped - just for the requisite moment - and hilariously, I did see a deer.  Right on cue!  It was my first step towards slowing down.  Today, I stood under a poplar tree for a while, watching some birds.  I don't know what kind of birds they were or what they were doing exactly, but it was really nice just being there, enjoying the moment. 

Public art..