St. Patrick’s Island is now open. It’s just a skipping stone away from Calgary, Alberta, Canada‘s newly-revitalized East Village, across the George C. King Bridge (formerly St. Patrick’s Bridge).
It offers East Village residents–and all Calgarians–a beautifully revitalized 31-acre backyard.
Nature lovers, families and urban explorers alike can revel in the natural beauty that has been restored through mindful renewal and a biophilia master plan – a landscape design approach that nurtures the bond between people and nature.
A monumental public art installation aptly named Bloom, a kid-friendly Playmound, and a completely accessible Picnic Grove provide urban amenities to the wilderness setting.
St. Patrick’s Island is an island for all seasons. And all people. It features a fishing cove; Seasonal Breach (a lowland channel with a boardwalk over naturalized wetlands); wooded areas with meandering pathways; a Confluence Plaza with an amphitheatre and room for programming; and a Rise that offers some of the best views in the city.
Prior to restoration, St. Patrick’s Island underwent a BioBlitz, to categorize every species of the island’s flora and fauna. Native plant species were also reintroduced.