Vancouver, A Walkable City With Beautiful Contrast

Having the opportunity to document and share a walking route in a city other than my own was a unique experience. With only slight exposure to the concept of civic innovation and urban planning before this course, I realize the importance of it now more than ever as I apply a critical eye. As someone who has never enjoyed being downtown, I was pleasantly surprised how much I have grown to enjoy this area I am sharing with you. On this virtual Jane’s Walk in downtown Vancouver, there is an assortment of contrasting elements like no other that show how much care was involved in making this city enjoyed by the community. The city has been designed to offer many options, and even values. The bike and walking lanes, large sidewalks, green space, parks, fields, informative pieces, assortment of businesses and beautiful ocean view all contribute to an experience had by citizens or tourists. I did not know that downtown areas could exist in this way, and I am now excited, more than ever, to explore Calgary and appreciate the downtown options available that make leaving my quadrant of the city more desirable. 

Kaylee P.

A local favourite in YYC

Nestled in Calgary’s inner south-west, Sandy Beach Park is a lesser-known gem among Calgary parks. Having grown up in Calgary, I only found the park myself at 18 when I moved close by.

For myself and many others, Sandy Beach and the surrounding area (including the dog parks on the North Glenmore access side and Britannia access side) provide a reprieve from busier city life, and offers a collective space to connect with family, friends, and even ourselves.

During the warmer months, the park is always rife with all types of activity- groups playing sports, kids playing on the playground, families roasting hot dogs in picnic areas, friends rafting down Elbow River, people running and cycling- and dogs. LOTS of dogs. You can often spot people reading, painting or writing in a quiet spot along the river. 

Britannia Plaza, hosting a plethora of creative local businesses, is just a short walk from the park. The younger feel of the businesses coupled with the older peaceful heritage of Sandy Beach is a perfect mix and makes for a great local spot to visit time and time again- the activities are endless.

Meagan M.

Lacombe Community Mosaic

The Forks - A Winnipeg Gem

I always enjoy myself being in crowded places. As an International student in Winnipeg, the Forks is one of the first places I think about when I have no exams coming and want to hang out with my friends. It is also a place whose history taught me to acknowledge my prejudice towards Indigenous Peoples and appreciate the land that supports my studies.

The Forks is Downtown Winnipeg’s public place for gathering, celebration, recreation. It is located at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, right next to the one and only Winnipeg’s inter railway - Winnipeg’s Union Station, and to the South of Main Street.

Over the past two centuries, the Forks has experienced many transformations and developments, from a place for Indigenous Peoples to hunt bison over 6000 years ago, trade fur with the European in 1738, to the base of many railways built to accommodate immigrants to Western Canada. The area now remains to its true core of a location for important dialogue and correspondence.

Sunny TP, Winnipeg

Reflecting on yesterday’s class

This week we were lucky enough to have guests Bree Smith from Mount Royal University, and Jason Cameron from the City of Calgary join our class and support our growing understanding of civic innovation and what it means for Calgary.

Bree shared her expertise in using StoryMap, a software that allows us to showcase different locations- local to international- and lead the user on an intuitive and engaging journey through enriching these locations with unique insights. Learning a tool like Story Map opens up a world of possibilities for those wanting to share unique perspectives on place and space, and we can’t wait to apply this tool to our own learning next month!

Jason’s insight working on Calgary’s downtown resilience and his emphasis on community and collaboration provided invaluable awareness for developing a larger context to frame our class's goal of supporting the creation of a civic user testing group in Calgary. Our discussion with Jason explored elements of inclusivity and exclusivity that exist in Calgary, and the barriers and opportunities this creates in terms of creating meaningful civic engagement.

A big takeaway we took from this class- and the course as a whole so far- is how many opportunities for civic engagement already exist in Calgary! Having the opportunity to learn about tools like Story Map that can increase the visibility of our civic spaces, as well as the vast opportunities and potential in Calgary’s civic innovation space has inspired us. We can’t wait to keep exploring! MM