Prince's Island Park (Calgary)

Prince's Island Park is an urban park in the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is developed on an island on the Bow River, immediately north of downtown Calgary.

Prince's Island Park
The channel at Princes Island Park
Map
TypeUrban park
LocationCalgary, Alberta
Coordinates51°03′20″N 114°04′13″W / 51.05556°N 114.07028°W / 51.05556; -114.07028
Area49.5 acres (0.200 km2)
Created1947
Operated byCity of Calgary
Bow River, Prince's Island Park and Downtown Calgary
Prince's Island Park in 2022

It was named after Peter Anthony Prince, the founder of the Eau Claire Lumber Mill. The park was built on land donated in 1947 to the city by the Prince family.[1] It is often incorrectly referred to as "Princess Island Park". The park is open from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. every regular day.[2]

The island has a surface of 20 hectares[1] and is linked by three bridges to Eau Claire and downtown Calgary and a north bridge to Memorial Drive and the community of Crescent Heights. It is part of the pathway and hiking trail system lining both sides of the Bow River. The southern arm of the river has been landscaped, while the eastern end of the island re-creates a wetland environment. Canada geese and mallard ducks are common birds found in the park.

Transportation

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Primary access to the island can be attained by a number of footbridges as part of the Bow River pathway and limited access is available to vehicles from the Prince's Island Causeway that connects to the corner of Eau Claire Ave and 6th Street and delivers traffic to the west end of the island. A limited number of parking stalls are available in the park. However vehicle access to the park is restricted during events.

Festivals

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Crowded Jaipur Bridge during Canada Day celebrations

The park hosts many festivals, as well as busking events.

About 150,000 visitors attended these festivals in 1996.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b City of Calgary (March 2007). "Prince's Island Park". Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
  2. ^ "Prince's Island Park".
  3. ^ Calgary Folk Music Festival. "Festival Info". Archived from the original on 2007-04-11. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
  4. ^ FFWD magazine (July 1997). "Seeking out solutions for Prince's Island Park". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
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