For the 10th year in a row, Calgary ranked as one of the top five cities for quality of life in the Economist Intelligence Unit Global Livability Index. The reason we did not rate even higher was because of our long winters! Love it or dread it, Calgary is a winter city, so how can we turn our snowy season from a liability into an asset? Can Calgarians fall in love with winter?
Calgary will soon join cities like Banff, Edmonton, Quebec City, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg, who have all developed winter-city strategies to celebrate their northern heritage, bolster economic development and tourism, and prevent social isolation and the “winter blues”.
Over the next year, and working with business and community stakeholders, we will be looking at ways to transform Calgary into a winter destination, making year-round use of patios, festivals, and outdoor activities. Here are two great examples: This past February (the third coldest on record) the annual Glow Festival in downtown Calgary had a record turnout! And don’t forget the annual family holiday tradition, Zoolights.
A Winter Strategy is about more than winter events. It is is about designing accessible public spaces that encourage people to bundle up and spend more time outdoors, regardless of the weather. It is about cheap and cheerful ways to make winter magical by placing fire-pits along Stephen Avenue, opening patio spaces to strengthen the winter economy, locating warming huts along pathway networks, and promoting activities in the city like skating or cross-country skiing. It is about making transit more accessible and comfortable with heated bus shelters at key locations and priority snow clearing on connecting sidewalks.
When we start with public engagement, we want to hear your ideas, so stay tuned for feedback opportunities. Let’s look at winter from a child’s perspective, find the joy in snow again, and leave hibernation to the bears.
