Central Memorial Park
Revitalizing Calgary’s Oldest Park
MAY 14, 2010
Central Memorial Park Grand Re-Opening
Central Memorial Park is located in the Beltline District and occupies one entire city block between 12th and 13th Avenue SW between 2nd and 4th Street SW. Although the Park was completed in 1912, its origins can be traced to 1885 when the land was donated by William Pearce, Superintendent of Mines on behalf of the Dominion of Canada. It was in 1928 that the Park was renamed Central Memorial Park following the construction of the Cenotaph and ceremonial benches memorializing WWI, WWII and the Korean Conflict. The Memorial Park Library, Alberta’s first public library, was funded in part by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation and is located at the east end of the Park. Home to 11 monuments, annual Remembrance Day ceremonies are held at Central Memorial Park each year.
A Rejuvenated Park for Calgarians to Enjoy Central Memorial Park, Calgary’s oldest surviving park, has been revitalized and reinvented into a spectacular new outdoor space for all Calgarians to enjoy. An important project for The City of Calgary Parks, Central Memorial Park has undergone fundamental improvements while still maintaining its historical significance as a vital part of Calgary’s living history. This ambitious, multi-activity destination has been redesigned to offer year-round usage in a vibrant and safe setting. The rejuvenated park will accommodate contemporary uses, day and night, such as festival events in addition to offering new park amenities. These new amenities include a garden-side café, additional seating, attractive pathways, an on-site office, public washrooms, innovative lighting, illuminated fountains and two outdoor reading rooms with wireless internet connections. The redevelopment of Central Memorial Park offers endless opportunities for Calgarians to gather around it naturally by fusing urban development, nature, culture, history and knowledge together in a new setting.
ENMAX Legacy Fund
Celebrating Calgary’s History
The revitalization of Central Memorial Park was made possible by funding obtained from the ENMAX Parks Program through the ENMAX Legacy Fund.
Historic preservation and rejuvenation are part of celebrating Calgary’s culture and respecting the symbols of Calgary’s proud past. Central Memorial Park was considered an important landmark, and along with the library, was the social and intellectual centre of the city when it was completed in 1912.
Introduced by Mayor Bronconnier, and endorsed by Calgary City Council, the Program uses dividend funds from ENMAX, The City of Calgary’s wholly-owned utility company, to acquire, preserve, develop or re-develop parkland within the city, or in future development corridors beyond Calgary’s present boundaries.
One of the primary park re-development objectives was the rehabilitation and interpretation of this important historic resource. The park rejuvenation has restored many significant Calgary monuments, has brought new attention to the historic Memorial Park Library, and has renewed many of the characteristics from the original designs of this Victorian-inspired garden such as the elaborate symmetrical geometric designs of its plantings and pathways.
The ENMAX Parks Program is one of the largest and most innovative of its kind in Canada.
Central Memorial Park is a Provincial Historic Resource, civic showcase, and soon to be formally designated as a Municipal Historic Resource.
MAY 14, 2010
Central Memorial Park Grand Re-Opening
Central Memorial Park is located in the Beltline District and occupies one entire city block between 12th and 13th Avenue SW between 2nd and 4th Street SW. Although the Park was completed in 1912, its origins can be traced to 1885 when the land was donated by William Pearce, Superintendent of Mines on behalf of the Dominion of Canada. It was in 1928 that the Park was renamed Central Memorial Park following the construction of the Cenotaph and ceremonial benches memorializing WWI, WWII and the Korean Conflict. The Memorial Park Library, Alberta’s first public library, was funded in part by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation and is located at the east end of the Park. Home to 11 monuments, annual Remembrance Day ceremonies are held at Central Memorial Park each year.
A Rejuvenated Park for Calgarians to Enjoy Central Memorial Park, Calgary’s oldest surviving park, has been revitalized and reinvented into a spectacular new outdoor space for all Calgarians to enjoy. An important project for The City of Calgary Parks, Central Memorial Park has undergone fundamental improvements while still maintaining its historical significance as a vital part of Calgary’s living history. This ambitious, multi-activity destination has been redesigned to offer year-round usage in a vibrant and safe setting. The rejuvenated park will accommodate contemporary uses, day and night, such as festival events in addition to offering new park amenities. These new amenities include a garden-side café, additional seating, attractive pathways, an on-site office, public washrooms, innovative lighting, illuminated fountains and two outdoor reading rooms with wireless internet connections. The redevelopment of Central Memorial Park offers endless opportunities for Calgarians to gather around it naturally by fusing urban development, nature, culture, history and knowledge together in a new setting.
ENMAX Legacy Fund
Celebrating Calgary’s History
The revitalization of Central Memorial Park was made possible by funding obtained from the ENMAX Parks Program through the ENMAX Legacy Fund.
Historic preservation and rejuvenation are part of celebrating Calgary’s culture and respecting the symbols of Calgary’s proud past. Central Memorial Park was considered an important landmark, and along with the library, was the social and intellectual centre of the city when it was completed in 1912.
Introduced by Mayor Bronconnier, and endorsed by Calgary City Council, the Program uses dividend funds from ENMAX, The City of Calgary’s wholly-owned utility company, to acquire, preserve, develop or re-develop parkland within the city, or in future development corridors beyond Calgary’s present boundaries.
One of the primary park re-development objectives was the rehabilitation and interpretation of this important historic resource. The park rejuvenation has restored many significant Calgary monuments, has brought new attention to the historic Memorial Park Library, and has renewed many of the characteristics from the original designs of this Victorian-inspired garden such as the elaborate symmetrical geometric designs of its plantings and pathways.
The ENMAX Parks Program is one of the largest and most innovative of its kind in Canada.
Central Memorial Park is a Provincial Historic Resource, civic showcase, and soon to be formally designated as a Municipal Historic Resource.
