Learn about municipal innovations, ambitious projects, and unique programs the city of Calgary has implemented, and how Alberta’s largest city has tackled municipal challenges and embraced new opportunities for success. 

Due to capacity limits, only one study tour may be selected when registering. Delegates may sign up for additional study tours in person at the conference if space permits.

It is strongly recommended to wear closed-toed shoes for all the tours. Tours will run rain or shine unless otherwise noted. Please dress for the weather.

The study tours schedule is subject to change.

 

Thursday June 6

Bow River Float Tour

8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
This guided raft tour showcases flood resilience infrastructure and a bioengineering demonstration project, led by community partner Riverwatch, who has been delivering on-water river education for over 25 years.

Certified River Guides will take you on a safe and fun raft experience down south Calgary's peaceful Bow River. The tour provides exceptional opportunities to observe wildlife and will allow you to forget that you're still within the city limits. Gain a deeper understanding of the science behind the watershed and discover how it supports residents’ daily lives. Prepare for an enlightening experience fostering a newfound appreciation for this vital natural wonder.

  • Capacity: 44
  • Length of the tour: 4 hours and 45 minutes (including travel time)
  • Note: Partial accessibility. Chairs cannot be accommodated on rafts but accommodations can be made for those with mobility issues if known in advance. Participants will be provided with life jackets. Tour will be cancelled in the event of high water and unsafe conditions. Tours are rarely cancelled due to rain and rain gear will be provided. Dress for conditions, bring sunscreen and a small snack. Attendees will need to sign a waiver.

Aisskapooma: The Ongoing History of Medicine Hill

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Aisskapooma (Medicine Hill) is a new community located on land that has supported human activity for thousands of years. It is one of southern Alberta’s most significant archeological sites.

The City of Calgary engaged with traditional knowledge keepers from the Blackfoot Confederacy to ensure their culture and history on the site are reflected throughout the development. Hear perspectives about the process to plan and develop the site, and to build trust and understanding between people who previously had little connection with one another. The session includes a ‘classroom’ setting, a tour of the development and a trail walk.

  • Capacity: 34
  • Length of the tour: 4 hours (including travel time)
  • Note: Accessible, except for optional walking portion of the trail. Delegates will need to come prepared for the weather and wear appropriate footwear if they intend to hike the trails.

City Approaches to Solar Integration

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Tour three City of Calgary solar photovoltaic projects ranging from building scale to utility scale. This tour highlights the different technologies, delivery approaches and operating models used for each of the three systems. The tours include a discussion of the project highlights and the lessons learned from each installation, and what lies ahead for renewable energy generation by the City of Calgary.

  • Capacity: 32
  • Length of the tour: 4 hours (including travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible.

Exploring the Confluence: A Sites-of-Significance Tour

9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Join Parks staff on an e-scooter/e-bike tour as they explore and share their perspectives on recent development sites. Calgary’s review process creates space for conversations and encourages questions and connection making between City staff working toward a common goal: building a better Calgary. Each tour stop has been specifically chosen to illustrate an aspect of the relationship between developers and outcomes. Together, you will view these sites with an eye toward how to find common ground and achieve innovative and optimal interdisciplinary planning outcomes.

Note: Due to limited numbers of e-scooters and e-bikes, your choice is not guaranteed.

  • Capacity: 18
  • Length of the tour: 3 hours (includes travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible. Participants need to be able to ride an e-scooter or e-bike. Please wear closed-toed shoes. Helmets will be provided and are highly recommended but not mandatory. There will be a safety equipment orientation.

Future-Ready Municipalities

9 to 11:30 a.m.
Canadian municipalities are in a time of deep uncertainty. A future-ready approach can help make sense of changes taking place, increase awareness of assumptions about the future, and identify actions to take today so that municipalities can better anticipate, shape and adapt to the futures that are emerging.

This workshop explores strategic foresight, emerging change, scenarios and artifacts of the future. Participants will leave with new ideas of what the future may bring and ways of thinking to apply to their own work so that their municipal strategies and plans are more resilient and robust.  

  • Capacity: 60
  • Length of the tour: 2.5 hours (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible. Workshop will be held on-site at the conference centre.

Housing Choice in the Bridgeland-Riverside Transit-Oriented Community

9:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Explore the range of housing options being incorporated into the inner-city community of Bridgeland-Riverside. This walking and CTrain tour will explore the significant changes to the community over the past two decades with a focus on the significant increase in housing options, mixed-use developments, and community vibrancy.

  • Capacity: 20
  • Length of the tour: 3 hours and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Partners in Civic Innovation

9:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
How can municipalities partner with the community to solve problems and address innovation gaps? This tour showcases how the City of Calgary partners with industry, researchers and students to accelerate innovation, improve the lives of community members and provide real-world environments for experimentation and knowledge gathering. This tour explores how primary school students use Minecraft to help planners, how fantastical functional furniture is developed, how the Open Learning Lab engages students, entrepreneurs and policymakers to collaborate on city building and how NASA tests drone capability in the city.

The tour will walk to two downtown locations: The UofC's School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape and the City's own Technology Integration Centre.

  • Capacity: 30
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Planet Youth: An International Prevention Model for Calgary

9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
The United Way of Calgary and Area and local partners including the City of Calgary have begun implementing Planet Youth, a prevention model proven to reduce substance use rates among young people and positively impact other areas of their lives. Calgary is the first city in Western Canada to implement the model and the first in our country to embed an Indigenous parallel, recognizing and honouring both Indigenous and Western ways of knowing, being and doing.

This tour will include visits to two Planet Youth pilot sites. Community partners will provide information about the Planet Youth model and next steps.

  • Capacity: 20
  • Length of the tour: 3 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Dale Hodges Park: Stormwater Innovation in a Natural Environment

9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Dale Hodges Park is a large natural environment park along the northern bank of the Bow River, on the lands of a former gravel pit. The park makes the storm water treatment process visible and shows citizens how storm water is managed. It aims to inspire curiosity and a deeper understanding of how our natural and manmade systems interact. Public Art artists were integrated into the design process to bridge ecological restoration and water engineering.

This project is a unique collaboration between Parks, Water Resources and Public Art. Tour highlights include Nautilus® pond, public art features, treatment wetlands and boardwalks.

  • Capacity: 34
  • Length of the tour: 3 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible.

Tour of the Animal Services Centre

10 to 11:45 a.m.
Tour Calgary's Animal Services Centre for an eye-opening experience showcasing remarkable strides in animal welfare. This facility is the first municipally owned and operated veterinary clinic in Canada. But it's not just about medical services; this tour reveals a compassionate, comprehensive and holistic approach to animal well-being.

Calgary’s Animal Services Centres has one of the lowest euthanasia rates in the country, a testament to their ability to rehabilitate and care for animals. Beyond caring for strays, locating their families and returning lost pets, the facility offers adoption services and temporary care for citizens’ pets during hospitalization or homelessness.

  • Capacity: 30
  • Length of the tour: 1 hour and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Calgary Transit: Stoney Transit Facility

12:45 to 3:30 p.m.
Join Calgary Transit staff for a tour of the Stoney Transit Facility. Opened in early 2019, this tour highlights Calgary Transit's commitment to lowering their carbon footprint. Participants will tour one of the first high-speed, indoor fuelling of CNG (compressed natural gas) vehicle facilities in North America. This is an operational facility. Please note that hazards may include noise, dust and moving vehicles.

  • Capacity: 25
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible, but the facility is large, and attendees need to be able to move quickly through the facility. Please wear closed-toed shoes. Vests and glasses can be supplied.

Partners in Civic Innovation

12:45 to 3:30 p.m.
How can municipalities partner with the community to solve problems and address innovation gaps? This tour showcases how the City of Calgary partners with industry, researchers and students to accelerate innovation, improve the lives of community members and provide real-world environments for experimentation and knowledge gathering. This tour explores how primary school students use Minecraft to help planners, how fantastical functional furniture is developed, how the Open Learning Lab engages students, entrepreneurs and policy-makers to collaborate on city building and how NASA tests drone capability in the city.

The tour will walk to two downtown locations: The UofC's School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape and the City's own Technology Integration Centre.

  • Capacity: 30
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Revitalizing Calgary’s Downtown: The Vital Role of Housing

12:45 to 4 p.m.
Learn about the important role housing is playing in Calgary’s downtown revitalization. This walking and CTrain tour will visit a variety of sites to uncover the stories behind the range of market and non-market housing options being developed.

  • Capacity: 20
  • Length of the tour: 3 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Tour of the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant

12:45 to 3 p.m.
If you showered today, brushed your teeth, had a glass of water, or flushed the toilet, that water came from one of two drinking water treatment plants in Calgary – Glenmore or Bearspaw. Join the City of Calgary Water Treatment Division staff to tour the Glenmore Water Treatment Plant. You will explore the steps that take water from raw river water to safe, high-quality drinking water by observing the six different parts of the treatment process. This involves the dam intake, residuals treatment, pretreatment, filtration, sodium hypochlorite and the pumps that send water to Calgary homes.

This tour involves walking indoors and outdoors.

  • Capacity: 20
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible. Closed-toed shoes and long sleeves/pants required. Attendees will need to sign a waiver.

E-Bike Tour: Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and Connection Project

1 to 3:30 p.m.
Ride an e-bike to Inglewood Bird Sanctuary along one of The City’s main river pathways. Along the way, stop at Harvie Passage, Bioengineering on the River, Pump track and lagoon connection and see:

  • a river park for water sports like kayaking
  • bioengineering techniques to stabilize slopes, reduce erosion and establish vegetation
  • the very popular bike skills park and discuss specific considerations for this amenity
  • a new channel that reconnects the lagoon to the Bow River to improve water quality, benefit wildlife and prevent diversion of the Bow River
  • our history through future Chinese demonstration gardens 
  • Capacity: 20
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 30 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible. Participants need to be able to ride an e-bike. Closed-toed shoes. Helmets will be provided and are highly recommended but not mandatory. There will be a safety and equipment orientation.

Calgary's Award-Winning River Pathway System and Flood Barrier

1:15 to 3:30 p.m.
This walking tour showcases the many layers of the recently completed Downtown Flood Barrier from the iconic Peace Bridge through East Village. See how a masterplan and public realm plan for Calgary's Downtown Bow River pathway system has come to life.

This human-centred design approach has resulted in beautiful and robust infrastructure to protect against future flood events, support healthy living, sustain a thriving natural ecosystem, and welcome all to use the public parks and pathway. Tour includes the award-winning Peace Bridge, Delta Garden, Jaipur Bridge and Eau Claire Promenade.

  • Capacity: 12
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Calgary’s Downtown Revitalization

1:15 to 3:30 p.m.
The future of Calgary is embodied in its downtown—the face and centre of the city’s evolution. Calgary’s Greater Downtown Plan charts a clear path forward and is supported by investments to lower office vacancy, improve vibrancy and support the development of thriving neighbourhoods that attract residents, visitors and businesses.

This two-hour walking tour will showcase:

  • Downtown Calgary Development Incentive Programs: an international success story in addressing high office vacancy rates while providing innovative solutions to accelerate housing supply.
  • Activating public spaces through programming, design ideas, art and colour.
  • Stephen Avenue and its transformation to modernize and reinvent Calgary’s hallmark main street.
  • Capacity: 15
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible.

Equity in Action

1:15 to 3:15 p.m.
Participants will have an opportunity to see how the City of Calgary is implementing equity in service delivery. Through the Equity in Service Delivery Fund, initiatives across the city have found meaningful ways to embed equity in service delivery. Join a panel discussion with fund recipients highlighting projects across the city and how they have made an impact for Calgarians.

  • Capacity: 60
  • Length: 2 hours
  • Note: This panel discussion will be held on-site at the conference centre.

Tour Calgary's Chinatown

1:15 to 3:30 p.m.
Experience a walking tour of historical Chinatown in Calgary. The City of Calgary recently completed three projects as part of the Tomorrow’s Chinatown program. Learn about these initiatives, experience the heritage and vibrancy of Chinatown and explore recent investments in the area.

  • Capacity: 20
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible.

Collaborating for Disaster Resilience: The Calgary Emergency Operations Centre

1:45 to 3:30 p.m.
This tour provides an overview of Calgary's world-class Emergency Operations Centre. Learn about Calgary's collaborative, whole-of-society approach to preparing for and responding to major disasters and emergencies. The tour also highlights Canada Task Force 2— Alberta's All-Hazard Disaster Response Team—and how we support other jurisdictions across the province and the country.

Please note: Tours at this facility will be cancelled in the event of an emergency event.

  • Capacity: 25
  • Length of the tour: 1 hour and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Glenbow: Reimagining the Museum Experience

1:45 to 3:30 p.m.
Tour Glenbow's renovation and learn how Glenbow is reimagining the museum experience and expanding its role in the community. When the museum reopens in 2026, Glenbow will be the first major museum in Canada to offer permanent free general admission to everyone. In addition to addressing financial barriers, Glenbow is transforming its physical spaces to be more inclusive and accessible, as well as redeveloping public programming to better meet the needs of the community.

  • Capacity: 12
  • Length of the tour: 1 hour and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible. This is an active construction site. Required PPE will be supplied by Glenbow. Please wear a top with sleeves and long pants. Attendees will need to sign a waiver.

 

Friday June 7

Arts Commons Transformation

12:45 to 3 p.m.
Discover Arts Commons, Western Canada’s largest performing arts centre and a pivotal driver of Calgary’s future. Arts Commons is evolving to meet the demands of an increasingly global community through the Arts Commons Transformation (ACT) project, Canada's largest cultural infrastructure project.

ACT is part of a comprehensive investment in Calgary’s downtown to expand and modernize Calgary’s premier performing arts centre, and fundamentally change the way people perceive, experience and talk about the arts. In every detail of its design, programming and operations, the new Arts Commons will reflect a fierce determination to make the arts available and accessible to all.

  • Capacity: 16
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible.

Calgary Transit: Stoney Transit Facility

12:45 to 3:30 p.m.
Join Calgary Transit staff for a tour of the Stoney Transit Facility. Opened in early 2019, this tour highlights Calgary Transit's commitment to lowering their carbon footprint. Participants will tour one of the first high-speed, indoor fuelling of CNG (compressed natural gas) vehicle facilities in North America. This is an operational facility. Please note that hazards may include noise, dust and moving vehicles.

  • Capacity: 25
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible, but the facility is large, and attendees need to be able to move quickly through the facility. Please wear closed-toed shoes. Vests and glasses can be supplied.

Recycling Sorting Facility Tour

12:45 to 3 p.m.
Tour Calgary's new state-of-the-art material recovery facility (MRF).

Opened on March 1, 2024, the new recycling sorting facility receives and sorts recyclables from City of Calgary programs. This new facility employs multiple optical sorters and AI robotics systems to optimize operational efficiencies, resource recovery, and end-product quality.

  • Capacity: 34
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Closed-toed shoes (preferably protective footwear) hard hat/bump cap, high-visibility vest, and hearing protection. PPE other than footwear can be provided at the facility.

Ralph Klein Park Environmental Education Centre

12:45 to 3:15 p.m.
Explore the Environmental Education Centre at Ralph Klein Park—a flagship facility within Calgary's Park system that overlooks the Shepard Wetland, the largest constructed stormwater treatment wetland in Canada. This wetland functions as both a stormwater storage facility and a treatment wetland that naturally filters stormwater, improving the quality of stormwater before it is discharged south to the Bow River. The LEED Platinum-certified building shows architectural ingenuity and facilitates transformative experiences, allowing citizens to reclaim meaningful connections to their watershed and to reflect on the idea that "we all live downstream from someone else".

  • Capacity: 34
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 30 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible.

Central Library Tour

1 to 2:45 p.m.
Opened in 2018, the Central Library is an award-winning civic gathering space and home to half a million books. Built above an active LRT line that curves across the site, the Central Library is a showcase of design ingenuity and engineering magic. Discover the unique and innovative elements of Central Library’s spaces, services, art and iconic architecture in a tour led by a Central Library volunteer guide. The tour includes a 10-minute walk to and from the library.

  • Capacity: 20
  • Length of the tour: 1 hour and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Dale Hodges Park: Stormwater Innovation in a Natural Environment

1 to 4:15 p.m.
Dale Hodges Park is a large natural environment park along the northern bank of the Bow River, on the lands of a former gravel pit. The park makes the storm water treatment process visible and shows citizens how storm water is managed. It aims to inspire curiosity and a deeper understanding of how our natural and manmade systems interact. Public Art artists were integrated into the design process to bridge ecological restoration and water engineering.

This project is a unique collaboration between Parks, Water Resources and Public Art. Tour highlights include Nautilus® pond, public art features, treatment wetlands and boardwalks.

  • Capacity: 34
  • Length of the tour: 3 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible.

Equity in Action

1 to 3 p.m.
Participants will have an opportunity to see how the City of Calgary is implementing equity in service delivery. Through the Equity in Service Delivery Fund, initiatives across the city have found meaningful ways to embed equity in service delivery. Join a panel discussion with fund recipients highlighting projects across the city and how they have made an impact for Calgarians.

  • Capacity: 60
  • Length: 2 hours
  • Note: This panel discussion will be held on-site at the conference centre.

Platform Calgary: Innovation in YYC

1 to 3:15 p.m.
Platform Calgary is a non-profit, member-based organization that brings together the resources of Calgary's tech ecosystem to help startups launch and grow at every step of their journey, from ideation to scale. The tour includes a 10-minute walk to and from the Platform Innovation Centre.

  • Capacity: 30
  • Length: 2 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Currie: Canada Lands' master-planned community for urbanism and historic charm

1:15 to 4 p.m.
Located less than 10 minutes from downtown Calgary, Currie is an award-winning community that is master planned by Canada Lands Company for connectivity, walkability and heritage. The site once functioned as a Canadian Forces Base in the 1930s. After it was decommissioned in 1998, Canada Lands Company acquired the surplus land at market value to redevelop into a complete community to accommodate 5,700 residential units, including upwards of 1,000 affordable housing units. The 200-acre site offers commercial land uses, six schools, more than 23 acres of parks and accessible public spaces and 13 provincially designated heritage features.

  • Capacity: 32
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Collaborating for Disaster Resilience: The Calgary Emergency Operations Centre

1:15 to 3 p.m.
This tour provides an overview of Calgary's world-class Emergency Operations Centre. Learn about Calgary's collaborative, whole-of-society approach to preparing for and responding to major disasters and emergencies. The tour also highlights Canada Task Force 2— Alberta's All-Hazard Disaster Response Team—and how we support other jurisdictions across the province and the country. Please note: Tours at this facility will be cancelled in the event of an emergency event.

  • Capacity: 25
  • Length of the tour: 1 hour and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Tipis and IndigiTrail at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

1:15 to 4:00 p.m.
Learn about two significant programs undertaken by Parks & Open Space to advance Truth and Reconciliation.

Start with a tour of the Sanctuary and explore virtual art created by Indigenous artists in partnership with Urban Society of Aboriginal Youth (USAY). Finish the tour exploring a tipi and learn about the Tipi project from both staff and an Elder who was involved.

  • Capacity: 18
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Glenbow: Reimagining the Museum Experience

1:45 to 3:30 p.m.
Tour Glenbow's renovation and learn how Glenbow is reimagining the museum experience and expanding its role in the community. When the museum reopens in 2026, Glenbow will be the first major museum in Canada to offer permanent free general admission to everyone. In addition to addressing financial barriers, Glenbow is transforming its physical spaces to be more inclusive and accessible, as well as redeveloping public programming to better meet the needs of the community.

  • Capacity: 12
  • Length of the tour: 1 hour and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible. This is an active construction site. Required PPE will be supplied by Glenbow. Please wear a top with sleeves and long pants. Attendees will need to sign a waiver.

Redevelopment of East Village into a Vibrant City Neighbourhood

1:45 to 4:30 p.m.
East Village is a 49-acre master-planned community at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers in downtown Calgary. Since 2007, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) has invested more than $400 million in infrastructure and development programs in East Village through an innovative Community Revitalization Levy (CRL) to transform the area into a vibrant neighbourhood that has attracted $3 billion in private investment, with more to come.

Join the CMLC team on a walking tour to learn about the multi-award-winning spaces in East Village, including the numerous public spaces, public art, historical restorations, and the reclamation of 31 acres of St. Patrick’s Island into a thriving biodiverse urban park.

  • Capacity: 20
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

BMO Centre Expansion

2 to 4:30 p.m.
Join Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) and the Calgary Stampede on a sneak-peek tour of the newly expanded BMO Centre, scheduled to open to the public for Stampede 2024. At over 1 million square feet, the BMO Centre will be the largest convention centre in Western Canada and is a catalyst for the development of Calgary’s evolving Culture and Entertainment District. The tour will include a ten-minute walk to and from the site.

  • Capacity: 30
  • Length: 2 hours and 30 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Future-Ready Municipalities

2:30 to 5 p.m.
Canadian municipalities are in a time of deep uncertainty. A future-ready approach can help make sense of changes taking place, increase awareness of assumptions about the future, and identify actions to take today so that municipalities can better anticipate, shape and adapt to the futures that are emerging.

This workshop explores strategic foresight, emerging change, scenarios and artifacts of the future. Participants will leave with new ideas of what the future may bring and ways of thinking to apply to their own work so that their municipal strategies and plans are more resilient and robust.

  • Capacity: 60
  • Length of the tour: 2.5 hours (includes travel time)
  • Note: Workshop tour will be held on-site at the conference centre.

Central Library Tour

2:45 to 4:30 p.m.
Opened in 2018, the Central Library is an award-winning civic gathering space and home to half a million books. Built above an active LRT line that curves across the site, the Central Library is a showcase of design ingenuity and engineering magic. Discover the unique and innovative elements of Central Library’s spaces, services, art and iconic architecture in a tour led by a Central Library volunteer guide. The tour includes a 10-minute walk to and from the library.

  • Capacity: 20
  • Length of the tour: 1 hour and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Collaborating for Disaster Resilience: The Calgary Emergency Operations Centre

2:45 to 4:30 p.m.
This tour provides an overview of Calgary's world-class Emergency Operations Centre. Learn about Calgary's collaborative, whole-of-society approach to preparing for and responding to major disasters and emergencies. The tour also highlights Canada Task Force 2— Alberta's All-Hazard Disaster Response Team—and how we support other jurisdictions across the province and the country. Please note: Tours at this facility will be cancelled in the event of an emergency event.

  • Capacity: 25
  • Length of the tour: 1 hour and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Platform Calgary: Innovation in YYC

2:45 to 5 p.m.
Platform Calgary is a non-profit, member-based organization that brings together the resources of Calgary's tech ecosystem to help startups launch and grow at every step of their journey, from ideation to scale. The tour includes a 10-minute walk to and from the Platform Innovation Centre. 

  • Capacity: 30
  • Length: 2 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

 

Saturday June 8

Community Engagement: Working Toward Receptivity and Inclusion

2 to 5 p.m.
Learn about the value of working with the community when building affordable housing in established neighbourhoods.

This tour features a project that leveraged innovative design and build options in a community which initially opposed the integration of affordable housing. Learn more about the City of Calgary’s commitment to Reconciliation and the actions which will provide more affordable housing options to Indigenous individuals living in Calgary.

  • Capacity: 20
  • Length of the tour: 3 hours (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Community Hubs Initiative: Village Square

2 to 4 p.m.
Attend a Community Hub Initiative site, where a community development approach has been implemented to activate spaces to increase social inclusion and economic participation in select communities. Participants will hear examples of how the initiative has worked with different partners and community residents to create welcoming and inclusive spaces.

  • Capacity: 25
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Explore Calgary’s CN Rail

2 to 4:45 p.m.
Take a tour of one of CN’s Calgary area facilities.

Essential to the economy, the CN team of approximately 25,000 railroaders annually transports goods valued at over $250 billion. These goods span a wide range of business sectors, including resource products to manufactured products to consumer goods, across a rail network of approximately 20,000 route miles spanning Canada and mid-America.

  • Capacity: 32
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible. Please wear closed-toed shoes.

Future-Ready Municipalities

2 to 4:30 p.m.
Canadian municipalities are in a time of deep uncertainty. A future-ready approach can help make sense of changes taking place, increase awareness of assumptions about the future, and identify actions to take today so that municipalities can better anticipate, shape and adapt to the futures that are emerging.

This workshop explores strategic foresight, emerging change, scenarios and artifacts of the future. Participants will leave with new ideas of what the future may bring and ways of thinking to apply to their own work so that their municipal strategies and plans are more resilient and robust.  

  • Capacity: 60
  • Length of the tour: 2.5 hours (includes travel time)
  • Note: Workshop will be held on-site at the conference centre.

Stampede Park: Developing Infrastructure in the Heart of Calgary

2 to 5 p.m.
Every July, the Calgary Stampede welcomes roughly 1.2 million people to 208 acres right in the heart of Calgary. The Calgary Stampede, since the turn of the 20th century has had an eye on developing infrastructure to align with Calgary’s social and economic needs. A new realization of this mission is taking place right now: the expanded BMO Centre, a tier one convention facility, and Sam Centre, an immersive story-driven destination, opening in June 2024. This guided walking and trolley tour will introduce you to the past, present and future of Stampede infrastructure.

  • Capacity: 31
  • Length of the tour: 3 hours (includes travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible.

YMCA Calgary: A Community Hub

2:15 to 4:30 p.m.
Since its inception in 1902, YMCA Calgary has evolved into a vibrant charity offering health and wellness programs, leadership and community outreach programs, childcare, and day and overnight camps. YMCA Calgary delivers programs, services and opportunities to help Calgarians connect, build lifelong skills, and keep active and healthy. Tour Brookfield Residential YMCA at Seton, one of YMCA's premier facilities that highlights municipal partnership to combine opportunities for recreation, leisure and learning, and a place for children, youth and adults to connect.

  • Capacity: 33
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Redevelopment of East Village into a Vibrant City Neighbourhood

2:15 to 5 p.m.
East Village is a 49-acre master-planned community at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers in downtown Calgary. Since 2007, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) has invested more than $400 million in infrastructure and development programs in East Village through an innovative Community Revitalization Levy (CRL) to transform the area into a vibrant neighbourhood that has attracted $3 billion in private investment, with more to come.

Join the CMLC team on a walking tour to learn about the multi-award-winning spaces in East Village, including the numerous public spaces, public art, historical restorations, and the reclamation of 31 acres of St. Patrick’s Island into a thriving biodiverse urban park.

  • Capacity: 20
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

17th Ave SE Extension and LRT Station Rebuild Project

2:30 to 4:45 p.m.
Join a walking tour to explore the 17 Avenue Extension and LRT station rebuild. On behalf of its partners at Calgary Transit and the Calgary Stampede, Calgary Municipal Land Corporate (CMLC) has managed a two-part multimodal infrastructure project in the emerging Culture and Entertainment District to rebuild an aging LRT station and forge an important pedestrian and vehicle link on Stampede Park’s western edge. The project will make it easier for motorists, pedestrians and active transportation users to navigate in and out of the district and provide transit users with a more accessible and integrated LRT station.

  • Capacity: 25
  • Length: 2 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Central Library Tour

2:30 to 4:15 p.m.
Opened in 2018, the Central Library is an award-winning civic gathering space and home to half a million books. Built above an active LRT line that curves across the site, the Central Library is a showcase of design ingenuity and engineering magic. Discover the unique and innovative elements of Central Library’s spaces, services, art and iconic architecture in a tour led by a Central Library volunteer guide. The tour includes a 10-minute walk to and from the library.

  • Capacity: 20
  • Length of the tour: 1 hour and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

 

Sunday June 9

Tipis and IndigiTrail at Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

2 to 4:45 p.m.
Learn about two significant programs undertaken by Parks & Open Space to advance Truth and Reconciliation.

Start with a tour of the Sanctuary and explore virtual art created by Indigenous artists in partnership with Urban Society of Aboriginal Youth (USAY). Finish the tour exploring a tipi and learn about the Tipi project from both staff and an Elder who was involved.

  • Capacity: 18
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

17th Ave SE Extension and LRT Station Rebuild Project

2:15 to 4:30 p.m.
Join a walking tour to explore the 17 Avenue Extension and LRT station rebuild. On behalf of its partners at Calgary Transit and the Calgary Stampede, Calgary Municipal Land Corporate (CMLC) has managed a two-part multimodal infrastructure project in the emerging Culture and Entertainment District to rebuild an aging LRT station and forge an important pedestrian and vehicle link on Stampede Park’s western edge. The project will make it easier for motorists, pedestrians and active transportation users to navigate in and out of the district and provide transit users with a more accessible and integrated LRT station.

  • Capacity: 25
  • Length: 2 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Arts Commons Transformation

2:15 to 4:30 p.m.
Discover Arts Commons, Western Canada’s largest performing arts centre and a pivotal driver of Calgary’s future. Arts Commons is evolving to meet the demands of an increasingly global community through the Arts Commons Transformation (ACT) project, Canada's largest cultural infrastructure project.

ACT is part of a comprehensive investment in Calgary’s downtown to expand and modernize Calgary’s premier performing arts centre, and fundamentally change the way people perceive, experience and talk about the arts. In every detail of its design, programming and operations, the new Arts Commons will reflect a fierce determination to make the arts available and accessible to all.

  • Capacity: 16
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 15 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible.

Calgary Transit: Stoney Transit Facility

2:15 to 5 p.m.
Join Calgary Transit staff for a tour of the Stoney Transit Facility. Opened in early 2019, this tour highlights Calgary Transit's commitment to lowering their carbon footprint. Participants will tour one of the first high-speed, indoor fuelling of CNG (compressed natural gas) vehicle facilities in North America. This is an operational facility. Please note that hazards may include noise, dust and moving vehicles.

  • Capacity: 25
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible, but the facility is large, and attendees need to be able to move quickly through the facility. Please wear closed-toed shoes. Vests and glasses can be supplied.

Redevelopment of East Village into a Vibrant City Neighbourhood

2:15 to 5 p.m.
East Village is a 49-acre master-planned community at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers in downtown Calgary. Since 2007, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) has invested more than $400 million in infrastructure and development programs in East Village through an innovative Community Revitalization Levy (CRL) to transform the area into a vibrant neighbourhood that has attracted $3 billion in private investment, with more to come.

Join the CMLC team on a walking tour to learn about the multi-award-winning spaces in East Village, including the numerous public spaces, public art, historical restorations, and the reclamation of 31 acres of St. Patrick’s Island into a thriving biodiverse urban park.

  • Capacity: 20
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

Bow River Walk at Fort Calgary

2:30 to 5 p.m.
Explore the historic Fort Calgary for a walk along the paths beside the Bow River. Your tour guide will share a critical look at histories of colonialism and how they impact us today. The walk is approximately 2 km and covers various terrains.

  • Capacity: 34
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 30 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Non-accessible. Bring comfortable walking shoes, a water bottle, hat, sunscreen and bug spray.

Central Library Tour

2:30 to 4:15 p.m.
Opened in 2018, the Central Library is an award-winning civic gathering space and home to half a million books. Built above an active LRT line that curves across the site, the Central Library is a showcase of design ingenuity and engineering magic. Discover the unique and innovative elements of Central Library’s spaces, services, art and iconic architecture in a tour led by a Central Library volunteer guide. The tour includes a 10-minute walk to and from the library.

  • Capacity: 20
  • Length of the tour: 1 hour and 45 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Accessible.

What is Reconciliation?

2:30 to 5 p.m.
Join us at historic Fort Calgary for an opportunity to learn of some of the most significant historical events that have influenced Canadian society through interactive participation, museum exhibitions, and land-based learning. Participants will have an opportunity to discuss these modern impacts and begin their own personal journeys toward reconciliation.

  • Capacity: 34
  • Length of the tour: 2 hours and 30 minutes (includes travel time)
  • Note: Bring sunscreen and bug spray.
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