City of Calgary Parks receives HCF Achievement Award
Ottawa, ON August 1, 2012 – The Heritage Canada Foundation (HCF) and the Calgary Heritage Initiative Society (CHI) are pleased to announce the presentation today of a national Achievement Award to Calgary Parks for the restoration of the 1912 Central Memorial Park located in the heart of downtown Calgary.
The Achievement Award recognizes and celebrates the revitalization of the park—a Provincial Historic Resource that includes the Carnegie Library building and its associated Edwardian-era designed landscape. After working closely with the community on the development of a concept strategy for the site, Calgary Parks created a landscape restoration plan that successfully preserved the rich history of the park while integrating the contemporary needs of Calgary’s downtown neighbourhood.
The project involved the sensitive re-creation of important historic elements: the original carpet bed design of intricate, geometric patterns of grass, pathways and planting beds, and the restoration of the well-loved war memorials and monuments. Adapting the park for compatible new uses saw the introduction of a new lighting plan, water features, furniture, the Boxwood Café, and wireless Internet access.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Anne Charleton, Director of Parks, will be accepting the award from former HCF chair Trudy Cowan and CHI president Cynthia Klaassen at the prestigious Calgary Heritage Authority Lion Awards ceremony taking place at the Calgary Board of Education Headquarters beginning at 7 pm.
The HCF Achievement Award honours individuals or groups for their achievement in heritage advocacy and volunteerism, and for projects that demonstrate a commitment to heritage conservation. Nominations are encouraged throughout the year.
Photos of the Central Memorial Park can be viewed here.
The Heritage Canada Foundation is a national registered charity dedicated to the preservation of Canada’s historic places. Your support is vital to our work. Please join or make a tax-deductible donation today.
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Contact:
Carolyn Quinn, Director of Communications, cquinn@heritagecanada.org
Telephone: (613) 237-1066 ext 229; Cell (613) 797-7206
