Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park (GRPP) area is 1,314 hectares (3,335.9 acres) along a stretch of the Bow River between the City of Calgary and the Town of Cochrane (see map in Appendix A). The park area was acquired by the Alberta Government in 2006 from the Harvie Family.
GRPP is a unique and diverse landscape that protects one of the only examples of Alberta’s rare and ecologically sensitive Foothills Parkland in the park system. The park protects an extensive range of native grassland and riparian habitats, which also supply a multitude of valuable ecosystem services to Albertans, as well as culture resources that are significant to the people of Alberta. Since inception, the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation partnered with the Government of Alberta to guide the management of the park.
Following the official designation of GRPP in 2008, an Interim Development and Management Strategy was completed in 2010 prior to the park opening to the public in 2011. Although there have been several draft plans initiated since that time, they were ultimately not completed, or insufficient. Currently, there is no a comprehensive and approved management plan for the park. A holistic and comprehensive management plan has been identified as a priority and is a critical need to address the dramatic change in visitor use expected in the next five years.
The project will support Alberta Parks in the development of a management plan for Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. Visitor use within Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park (GRPP) will change dramatically in the next five years due to land use developments on three sides of the park including: the new Haskayne Park in the City of Calgary; a bridge over the Bow River to Cochrane, and future approved residential development within Rocky View County. It is anticipated that visitor use could increase from 144,000 visits per year to well over a million once these trail connections are established. Proactive planning for facility and natural resource management will put Alberta Parks in a position of readiness and ensure the park’s infrastructure and natural resources are effectively developed and protected to meet the needs of this anticipated growth.
This project will assess essential park infrastructure improvements required to ensure public safety, protection of critical habitats, and to provide a high quality visitor experience. Core deliverables of this contract will include a trails and facilities site assessment, and strategic engagement and communications plan to guide the engagement of Indigenous peoples, the public and key stakeholder within the subsequent management planning process:
• The pathways, trails and facilities site assessment will provide important contextual information about the potential impacts and mitigation strategies needed to effectively manage a significantly higher visitation volume.
• The strategic engagement and communications plan will identify the appropriate communities and stakeholder groups needed to inform the development of the management plan, champion the implementation of the plan, or who may provide new resources and capacity through not-for profit or private sector partnership initiatives.
