Sonya Sharp has requested that a promotion, in partnership with another company, offering a 50% discount to members who rented paddle boards, paddle boats, canoes, kayaks, and rowboats from the new Bearspaw Marina, located on Bearspaw Reservoir, be ceased. The marina opened at the end of July and quickly became a major attraction for the newly opened Haskayne Park. On the Sunday prior to Sharp’s request, the marina rented out 115 boats, with an equal number of Calgarians bringing their own paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes. Over 400 people enjoyed the lake that day, with 90% of the visitors to the park there to play in the water. Sharp claimed that the marina was illegal, but it’s curious that if it were illegal, it has been in operation for six weeks.
For the past two years, I have sought Sharp’s support for the marina. Her ward communities stand to gain the most due to their proximity to the reservoir, yet she has remained unresponsive, ignoring requests from the marina owner for discussions and support.
Guests at the marina, whether renting boats or bringing their own, have expressed excitement about accessing this 7-kilometre lake. Public access to the lake only became possible with the opening of Haskayne Park in September 2023. However, the city discovered that they did not own a strip of land beside the reservoir and lacked access to it. The marina then demonstrated to the city how park visitors could legally access the reservoir via a municipal road allowance, yet to date, the park has done little to improve that road allowance.
The city has invested $52 million in Haskayne Park, receiving millions in donations from Dick and Lois Haskayne. The park features walkways and a 2-kilometre bike path connecting to the Glenbow Park bike path. When I inquired about plans to allow children on the lake, the city indicated there were none, nor did Glenbow Park. Wanting to provide that opportunity, I purchased a dock and 160 paddling devices—no motorboats allowed.
Haskayne Park has the potential to become one of Calgary’s finest spaces by utilizing the reservoir. Previously, floaters could not easily exit from Cochrane to Calgary due to a lack of access points. With Haskayne Park, there is now a convenient way to exit the river after floating down from Cochrane. Vehicle access to the water is restricted to the City of Calgary and the marina.
It may be noteworthy for Councillor Sharp that the Bearspaw Reservoir is federally regulated, and our marina qualifies as a minor works project. Alberta Environment has also confirmed that no approval was necessary from them. Additionally, the marina is located in Rocky View County, not within the City of Calgary.
The opening of Haskayne Park and Bearspaw Marina is one of the most exciting developments in northwest Calgary in years. Unfortunately, with councillors like Sonya Sharp overlooking this opportunity and refusing to engage with the marina, she is demonstrating why she should not be the next mayor or even a councillor.
Closed for the season
