Pathway update April 2022

As promised, the following is an update for those who have signed the petition opposing pathways on the Bow River escarpment in Riverstone.

Several initiatives have taken place over the last few months to ensure a voice with the City of Calgary. At the recommendation of the Councillor for Ward 12, Evan Spencer, we have formed a society, The Society for the Preservation of the Bow River Valley in South Calgary. This society is looking to have you, the signatories to this petition, become our member base. The number of signatures is approaching 1,000; a considerable number that could have an impactful voice. As we continue with the formation of the society, calls will go out to ask for volunteers with specific skill sets and experience as well as volunteers to assist with various projects as they come up. If you feel you can contribute to the society in any way or if you have any information that you think is valuable to our cause,  we would love hear from you! You may send  messages to this email,  res.cranston.drive@gmail.com.

Discussions have occurred in the last few months with representatives of the City of Calgary and Brookfield Residential to both understand and influence the pathway routing on the escarpment. At our request, a mini BIA (Biophysical Impact Assessment) was conducted by Brookfield last fall on the escarpment above Cranbrook Drive. Out of the BIA came a revised routing (See Attached). Although this routing no longer connects to Cranston Avenue as originally planned, it still has a presence on the escarpment. This group is not opposed to a pathway behind Cranbrook Drive per se, we are opposed to routing it on the escarpment. Wildlife, slope stability, the fragile environment, and potential water run off are all factors of concern. We strongly feel there is no need to be on the escarpment at all!

We now need your help. Any interactions with The City need to occur through 311, either via a telephone call, 311.ca or the mobile app. Any contact through 311 is logged and sent to the people responsible and the councillor. Our opposition must be heard! This has been a learning experience from the start, and we have learned that The Planning Department at The City makes the decisions, and they take little input from the citizens of this city. They often work off old plans, approaching twenty years in this situation, with little consideration to changes that may have taken place. Please feel free to look up the Cranston Development Plan and The Open Spaces Policy. Although there is positive language written about the value of the escarpment and its prominence within the city, the escarpment and its unique habitat will not be respected if this development proceeds.

This is a critical time to use our voices as construction of the pathway is slated for late May into June. Coincidently, this corresponds with the birth cycle of the deer that live on the hill as well as the nesting cycles of birds in the trees and this should be avoided.

There will be more updates in the future. In the meantime, please help by voicing your concerns at 311.

Thank You