Thoughts on improving Nosehill?

[1stLand]

A huge Water Park!

But in all seriousness, I think they should plant tree. Fruit trees.

Or let those hippies that tried planting an urban garden in one of those privately owned lots by 17th avenue move their garden plots up there.

[seattleflamer]

I grew up in Edgemont so I have very fond memories of being in the boonies and Nosehill was the exclamation point to my "civilized" friends down in Dalhousie and Silversprings.

I hope they can do horseback riding again which seemed like a natural fit.

I was always under the impression there was some significance to First Nations people which was why it was never developed and seemed so out of sync with the rest of NW development.

I have a lot of wedding pix from that park as well and our photographer made bald ass prairie look like it could be in National Geographic or a tourist brochure.

Please leave alone....

[Sr. Mints]

First, it isn't Nose Hill that increases your time in the car, it's the unsustainable growth and endless sprawl; the car culture and entitlement attitude of Calgarians whom don't see anything wrong with living 30km from their workplace. Costcos and Superstores and Wal-Marts and ring roads being built farther and farther all the time. This is what adds to your driving time.

But as a frequent user of Nose Hill, I do think the park could benefit from some changes:

The trails don't bother me at all, and I think they could be expanded. Additional pedestrian overpasses along 14th and John Laurie would make the park more accessible.

The idea of adding trees, preferably along the paths, works for me. I'm not talking about planting a forest over the park, just some shade and shelter and minimal aesthetic changes. I admit, Nose Hill does look a bit bare-ass.

I always thought it would be cool to have an observation platform atop the hill somewhere, with coin-operated telescopes pointed towards the mountains or downtown--like they had on top of the World Trade Centre.

These are all minimal changes for the most part, and I think it's neat that we have a huge park inside city limits, where many different native animal and plant life make a home. It makes me feel good that us parasitic humans can coexist with nature in some way, so close to home.

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I see an ugly park (as do 10s of thousands of other Calgarians)

Source?

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by longsuffering

Source?

[Rathji]

Maybe we could put the dog extermination site in Nose Hill.

Oh wait, the city just squashed stage 1 of that plan...

[ricoFlame]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Do you know what "over rated" means? Your post implies you don't.

Do you know what "implies" means? your post implies you don't.

[Sliver]

Okay now you're just embarrassing yourself. I used imply correctly.

[Shin Pad]

As Joni Mitchell would say "put up a parking lot"

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Okay now you're just embarrassing yourself. I used imply correctly.

Tens of thousands of Calgarians disagree.

[TorqueDog]

Could we maybe just TRY cutting the grass once? If we don't like it, it grows back and we don't cut it again. (Also a useful request to wives and girlfriends.)

[4X4]

I can understand the 'leave it alone' side, but I think it is just way too big to be left completely untouched. I'm not in favour of another subdivision, or even a golf course, but something useful for the community. The City (or Province?) could be doing something there that would bring in revenue, and only take up a portion of that gigantic piece of land.
I guess I don't understand why the park is so big, in a city that has no shortage of parks, but does have a sprawl problem.

[GGG]

I like having an expanse in the middle of the city. When I lived up there I used to run and bike through there. I appreciate the lack of development. I do think a tobaggon hill would be pretty cool though and you could do that with minimal impact to the rest of the park.

Anything done to it should work with the park rather than trying to change it. It is a grassland ecosystem in the city so enjoy it as one.

[Sliver]

But a grassland ecosystem isn't enjoyable. That's the problem.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by GGG

I like having an expanse in the middle of the city. When I lived up there I used to run and bike through there. I appreciate the lack of development. I do think a tobaggon hill would be pretty cool though and you could do that with minimal impact to the rest of the park.

Anything done to it should work with the park rather than trying to change it. It is a grassland ecosystem in the city so enjoy it as one.

All the things you could do on the perimeter of the park without interfering with the ecosystem... A toboggan hill. A kiddie splash pool. A skate park. A skating rink... None of these things would go more than 200m into the park. The park would still be huge, but there'd be a few things that the rest of the city can enjoy, and by 'the rest of the city', I mean people who don't need 10 square km to walk their dog or jog.

[MrMastodonFarm]

I can't think of a more boring description then grassland ecosystem. That's how I'm going to describe the next Wild-Flames game.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I'm with you Sliver, I always thought Nosehill was the most over-rated piece of bald-ass prairie around. Never really understood why it was considered so special when it looks exactly like every undeveloped area in the province, but without anything nice to look at. If there was something to bulldoze, I'd bulldoze it.

We could start with planting about 10,000 trees. We might not enjoy it much, but maybe our kids would have something interesting.

Except that there is actually very little (1% in NA) undeveloped, uncultivated, or non-grazed native prairie grassland. Native Prairie is endangered. So it is special.

http://albertawilderness.ca/issues/wildlands/grasslands

Maybe it's not as beautiful to some as natural forest (like we have in other natural environment parks like Fish Creek, Edworthy or the Weaselhead) but it is beautiful in my mind and worth preserving - as is the Bowmont Flats Park where I spent my childhood roaming. It's unique to have such a large swath in the midst of an urban area.

That's not to say we don't need more fantastic manicured, programmed and active urban parks - we do.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Sliver

But a grassland ecosystem isn't enjoyable. That's the problem.

I think we are too spoiled with the mountains. Grasslands, deer, coyotes, birds, flowers etc, are fine nature when viewed alone. Its not awe inspiring like the mountains but it has its place as an interesting eniroment.

I don't think things like spash pools, skate parks and other city facilities make sense there as there are lots of these types of facilities all over the city and the restriction on building them isn't space it is cost.

Thats why the tobaggon run idea to me of any that have been put out seems viable. It needs that kind of open space to work. The park would be minimally affected and it is still a natural activity that fits in the space and not some activity you have to re-purpose (pave) the park for.

[KeepCalmCarryOn]

I've got to ask... All I have see from the OP (Sliver) are confrontational threads... Is that his/her thing? The dog killing/biting thread, the old people are worthless thread, now this thread... Every thread I read of his/hers I feel "baited".

Am I alone in this feeling and just need to hang around more? Because these threads feel like carefully thought out trolling to me.

Sorry for the de-rail everyone (I for the record like having the park as it's better than extending Panorama Hills anymore... yikes!)

[4X4]

Originally Posted by KeepCalmCarryOn

I've got to ask... All I have see from the OP (Sliver) are confrontational threads... Is that his/her thing? The dog killing/biting thread, the old people are worthless thread, now this thread... Every thread I read of his/hers I feel "baited".

Am I alone in this feeling and just need to hang around more? Because these threads feel like carefully thought out trolling to me.

Sorry for the de-rail everyone (I for the record like having the park as it's better than extending Panorama Hills anymore... yikes!)

Maybe he's just not afraid to talk about topics that not everyone wants to talk about. He's CP's Slim Shady.