Calgary Parks 100 Project, celebrating Calgary Parks 100th
Anniversary!
Calgary Area Cachers teaming up with The City of Calgary Parks
Dept.
The Calgary Parks 100 Project is a partnership between the City
of Calgary Parks, and the Calgary Area Cachers to celebrate Calgary
Parks 100th anniversary. Calgary Parks has supplied cache
containers and swag for 100 caches, and the we have placed these
100 caches in 100 parks around Calgary.
The Pearce Estate Wetland lies in a curve of the Bow River as it
flows through the southeast part of the city. The 15-hectare
wetland area, when combined with the adjacent provincially operated
Bow Habitat Station, results in a 21-hectare park. The area was
donated to the city by William Pearce, a prominent early Calgarian
who died in 1930. The current wetland area and interpretive trail
were redeveloped and opened to the public in 2004.
The wetlands have been transformed several times. They began as
part of a riverine forest complex, then during Pearce's ownership
they were used in part for agriculture. After that they were
converted to a city recreation park and are now being
"re-naturalized" to something approaching their original
condition.
The estate of William Pearce occupied about 80 hectares in a bend
of the Bow River. In 1889, Pearce built a grand sandstone house,
which he called "Bow Bend Shack." It was torn down in 1957. Part of
the estate is now an important nature interpretation facility
jointly developed and operated by The City, Province, private and
non-profit sectors. Facilities include the provincial Sam
Livingston Fish Hatchery Visitor Centre and "Walking on Water
Trail," the BP "Discovery Trail," and the Ducks Unlimited "Webbed
Foot Lane.