Prince's Island Park, Calgary, Canada

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Prince Island Park is named after Peter Anthony Prince, who came to Calgary in 1886. He founded the Eau Claire Lumber Mill. As the mill grew, they needed to send more logs from Kananaskis down closer to the Calgary Sawmill; thus, a lagoon was dug, creating the island. The mill closed in 1944. At that time, the city of Calgary purchased the island from the Prince family and developed Prince Island Park. A beautiful 50-acre urban parkland located on the Bow River and just north of downtown Calgary opened to the public in 1947. One of the main highlights is admission to the park is absolutely free!

The park has become home to many long-running festivals, including; Calgary Folk Music Festival, Shakespeare in the Park, Carifest, Canada Day celebration, Heritage Day celebration, Afrikadey, Expo Latino, and Barbeque on the Bow. The park also regularly hosts outdoor concerts and live plays in the summer.

Some of the widely used and loved features of this city park are; picnic areas, children’s playground, water fountains, floral gardens, canoeing on the river, biking, walking or rollerblading the paved path. In winter, the park hosts ice skating on the lagoon and cross country skiing.

Visitors to the park can enjoy a top-notch meal at the well-loved River Cafe. The park provides a path that fully winds around the park. The southern park area has been landscaped with fountains and gardens, while the eastern end of the island has been developed into a wetland environment with native plant restoration. Canada Geese and mallards are commonly seen there. The Cheron Texaco Learning Pathway is an environmental education pathway. The path uses signage to teach how wetlands and wildlife habitats work and about water quality. It is an interactive way to connect visitors with nature.

Interestingly the park is bordered by three pedestrian bridges, making it a convenient and easy trip to the park. One of the bridges connects to Eau Claire. The other connects north to Memorial Drive. The third is the Peace Bridge, which connects to downtown Calgary. Also, nicknamed the “Finger Trap Bridge” due to it looking like a finger trap puzzle. When built-in 2012, it ranked as one of the top 10 architectural projects of 2012. The Peace bridge provides access across the Bow River for pedestrians and cyclists and is used by over 6,000 pedestrians a day. The city chose the colours red and white as they represent both the Canadian and the Calgary Flag.

Prince Island Park is adjacent to the Eau Claire Market, which is a colourful street market. With many one of a kind shops, local vendors selling hand-made crafts and a wide variety of foods. The indoor area houses many popular restaurants, walkways, a food court, and a large cinema.

Picturesque and beautiful describe Prince Island Park, in the heart of Calgary. It is a frequently visited and favoured way to spend the day without having to leave the city. Whether walking, biking, hiking, renting a pair of roller skates, or just relaxing, the park is a great way to spend some time in nature. It ranks high on many popular travel sites as one of Calgary’s top places to visit and is central to many other top attractions. One very desirable feature compared to many other attractions is the admission is always free.

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Peace Bridge over Bow River, Calgary, Canada

calgary.excaliburwater.com/calgary-prince-island-park-and...

Prince Island Park is named after Peter Anthony Prince, who came to Calgary in 1886. He founded the Eau Claire Lumber Mill. As the mill grew, they needed to send more logs from Kananaskis down closer to the Calgary Sawmill; thus, a lagoon was dug, creating the island. The mill closed in 1944. At that time, the city of Calgary purchased the island from the Prince family and developed Prince Island Park. A beautiful 50-acre urban parkland located on the Bow River and just north of downtown Calgary opened to the public in 1947. One of the main highlights is admission to the park is absolutely free!

The park has become home to many long-running festivals, including; Calgary Folk Music Festival, Shakespeare in the Park, Carifest, Canada Day celebration, Heritage Day celebration, Afrikadey, Expo Latino, and Barbeque on the Bow. The park also regularly hosts outdoor concerts and live plays in the summer.

Some of the widely used and loved features of this city park are; picnic areas, children’s playground, water fountains, floral gardens, canoeing on the river, biking, walking or rollerblading the paved path. In winter, the park hosts ice skating on the lagoon and cross country skiing.

Visitors to the park can enjoy a top-notch meal at the well-loved River Cafe. The park provides a path that fully winds around the park. The southern park area has been landscaped with fountains and gardens, while the eastern end of the island has been developed into a wetland environment with native plant restoration. Canada Geese and mallards are commonly seen there. The Cheron Texaco Learning Pathway is an environmental education pathway. The path uses signage to teach how wetlands and wildlife habitats work and about water quality. It is an interactive way to connect visitors with nature.

Interestingly the park is bordered by three pedestrian bridges, making it a convenient and easy trip to the park. One of the bridges connects to Eau Claire. The other connects north to Memorial Drive. The third is the Peace Bridge, which connects to downtown Calgary. Also, nicknamed the “Finger Trap Bridge” due to it looking like a finger trap puzzle. When built-in 2012, it ranked as one of the top 10 architectural projects of 2012. The Peace bridge provides access across the Bow River for pedestrians and cyclists and is used by over 6,000 pedestrians a day. The city chose the colours red and white as they represent both the Canadian and the Calgary Flag.

Prince Island Park is adjacent to the Eau Claire Market, which is a colourful street market. With many one of a kind shops, local vendors selling hand-made crafts and a wide variety of foods. The indoor area houses many popular restaurants, walkways, a food court, and a large cinema.

Picturesque and beautiful describe Prince Island Park, in the heart of Calgary. It is a frequently visited and favoured way to spend the day without having to leave the city. Whether walking, biking, hiking, renting a pair of roller skates, or just relaxing, the park is a great way to spend some time in nature. It ranks high on many popular travel sites as one of Calgary’s top places to visit and is central to many other top attractions. One very desirable feature compared to many other attractions is the admission is always free.

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Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), Prince's Island Park,
Calgary, Canada

Includes
- Osprey
- American Crow
- Mallard
- Common Goldeneye

Prince Island Park is named after Peter Anthony Prince, who came to Calgary in 1886. He founded the Eau Claire Lumber Mill. As the mill grew, they needed to send more logs from Kananaskis down closer to the Calgary Sawmill; thus, a lagoon was dug, creating the island. The mill closed in 1944. At that time, the city of Calgary purchased the island from the Prince family and developed Prince Island Park. A beautiful 50-acre urban parkland located on the Bow River and just north of downtown Calgary opened to the public in 1947. One of the main highlights is admission to the park is absolutely free!

The park has become home to many long-running festivals, including; Calgary Folk Music Festival, Shakespeare in the Park, Carifest, Canada Day celebration, Heritage Day celebration, Afrikadey, Expo Latino, and Barbeque on the Bow. The park also regularly hosts outdoor concerts and live plays in the summer.

Some of the widely used and loved features of this city park are; picnic areas, children’s playground, water fountains, floral gardens, canoeing on the river, biking, walking or rollerblading the paved path. In winter, the park hosts ice skating on the lagoon and cross country skiing.

Visitors to the park can enjoy a top-notch meal at the well-loved River Cafe. The park provides a path that fully winds around the park. The southern park area has been landscaped with fountains and gardens, while the eastern end of the island has been developed into a wetland environment with native plant restoration. Canada Geese and mallards are commonly seen there. The Cheron Texaco Learning Pathway is an environmental education pathway. The path uses signage to teach how wetlands and wildlife habitats work and about water quality. It is an interactive way to connect visitors with nature.

Interestingly the park is bordered by three pedestrian bridges, making it a convenient and easy trip to the park. One of the bridges connects to Eau Claire. The other connects north to Memorial Drive. The third is the Peace Bridge, which connects to downtown Calgary. Also, nicknamed the “Finger Trap Bridge” due to it looking like a finger trap puzzle. When built-in 2012, it ranked as one of the top 10 architectural projects of 2012. The Peace bridge provides access across the Bow River for pedestrians and cyclists and is used by over 6,000 pedestrians a day. The city chose the colours red and white as they represent both the Canadian and the Calgary Flag.

Prince Island Park is adjacent to the Eau Claire Market, which is a colourful street market. With many one of a kind shops, local vendors selling hand-made crafts and a wide variety of foods. The indoor area houses many popular restaurants, walkways, a food court, and a large cinema.

Picturesque and beautiful describe Prince Island Park, in the heart of Calgary. It is a frequently visited and favoured way to spend the day without having to leave the city. Whether walking, biking, hiking, renting a pair of roller skates, or just relaxing, the park is a great way to spend some time in nature. It ranks high on many popular travel sites as one of Calgary’s top places to visit and is central to many other top attractions. One very desirable feature compared to many other attractions is the admission is always free.

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Northwest Passage: East Coast Baffin Island to Lancaster Sound

August 22, 2023 to August 29, 2023

For a trip report see the narrative included in the eBird Trip Report:
ebird.org/tripreport/154614

© All Rights Reserved

Northwest Passage: East Coast Baffin Island to Lancaster Sound

August 22, 2023 to August 29, 2023

For a trip report see the narrative included in the eBird Trip Report:
ebird.org/tripreport/154614

© All Rights Reserved