News from the Friends of Nose Hill
by Anne Burke
The Nose Hill Trail and Pathway Plan was approved by City Council in July 2005. A petition opposing paved pathways and cross-park routes was submitted by Friends of Nose Hill, Calgary Roadrunners, M & M Seniors Outdoor Club, Off-Leash Calgary, The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, 5th Dimension Seniors Outdoor Club, nearby Community Associations, and many others. They collected 2,083 names in less than a month, compared with the City’s study survey of 360 respondents. At that time there were no formalized trails and many users called for a different approach, with fewer, smaller, and more environmentally friendly trails.
The Nose Hill Park Communities Board was created by City Council in 1980-81 to represent the communities surrounding Nose Hill Park on matters pertaining to the Park. Their mission was to preserve its integrity and to perpetuate its natural character, while providing compatible recreational opportunities. Their goals emphasized the preservation and conservation of the Park’s natural landscape, wildlife, and historical assets. They valued the uses and management of Nose Hill as a natural environment park.
The group reviewed the Nose Hill Trail and Pathway Plan and suggested amendments with their recommendations to City Council. Their policies preferred a “more” sensitive and sustainable approach. The aim was to protect and nurture Nose Hill, while preserving its uniqueness. These proposals about pathways, implementation priorities, environmental open space, and parking would also have been less costly.
1. No new pathways should be developed in Nose Hill Park.
2. Implement restoration and rehabilitation beginning with the most damaged/disturbed sloping areas of the Park.
3. Nose Hill Park is an Environmental Open Space, not a recreational open space. Any changes should focus on the natural prairie grassland and animals.
a.) Reduce the size of the multi-use zone to prevent deterioration of the Park around Edgemont Blvd parking lot.
b.) Limit entranceways at the parking lots to two trails/tread routes to help reduce extensive damage there.
c.) Eliminate the trails through the Aspen Grove Natural Parkland and Many Owls Valley, so as not to interfere with wildlife.
d.) Upgrade the parking lots with resurfacing, washrooms, garbage cans, educational and user orientation signage only. No other improvements, especially to the interior of the Park. If plans are to close (either or both) the Charleswood and 19 St entrances to the Park, then expand the parking lot at 14 St NW (30+ parking stalls) adjoining 14 St connecting with the parking lot and using existing access.
Nose Hill Park is a destination point consistent with its preservation and not a park to travel through to get somewhere else. Exploring alternative regional pathway/commuter routes outside the Park was not in the scope of this study. The group favoured opportunities on the west side of Shaganappi Trail and/or on the east side of 14 St Nose Hill Park. This was to avoid cross-park routes as part of the regional pathway system. Restoration ought to be the City’s main priority. Fencing and planting trees do not belong in a natural prairie grassland park. Trail walkers in the Aspen Grove Natural Parkland will stress wildlife, such as the mule deer, using the rest area. A second safe area is the aspen grove in Many Owls Valley. In the past, one of the routes into the gravel pit and to the top of the escarpment from the Brisebois parking lot passes through the middle of this grove. Having constructed a pedestrian overpass in the area, the trail should be moved above the limit of the aspen trees to follow the ridge above Many Owls Valley.
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