This 2,400-square-foot pavilion is the City of Calgary’s first net-zero building. In 2020, solar panels were installed at Haskayne Legacy Park. This system displaces an estimated 23 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year and directly offsets the park's electricity consumption.

The building is designed to promote a shared educational experience of the site and opportunities for quiet contemplation within a stretch of the culturally significant Bow Valley landscape. By using natural finishes for both the wood and weathering steel elements, the pavilion's built form visually references the site's historic agricultural use.

You can see the solar panels from the east side of the parking lot.

Thousands of trees and shrubs have been planted in this park. This row of coniferous trees adds a pop of greenery throughout the winter months. Unlike deciduous trees that lose their leaves, coniferous trees stay green all year round!

Conifer means "cone-bearing" — a plant with its seeds in a cone structure. Sometimes conifers are also called needle-leaved trees, evergreens, softwoods, or gymnosperms! 

Since time immemorial, this land has been a gathering place for Indigenous peoples, with tipi camps and bison hunting grounds. Haskayne Legacy Park will be significant in preserving and protecting the area's valuable ecological and human heritage. 

Haskayne Legacy Park came to be through an initiative by former Mayor Bronconnier. He had a vision to create large regional parks on the outskirts of The City. As a result, planning began to investigate where it is possible to develop a regional park in Calgary.

Dick and Lois Haskayne originally donated a portion of the land to the University of Calgary. The land was then acquired by the City of Calgary in 2006 through the ENMAX Legacy Parks Program. Over ten years, the City worked with many organizations and individuals, consultants and contractors to develop the land into a regional park.

Watch this short video about the park.

Cattle help to fill the ecological role that bison once played. Both like to graze grasslands. However, cattle do not migrate as bison do, so cattle rotation on the grasslands is important to ensure overgrazing does not happen. With proper management, cattle grazing is essential to the conservation of grasslands.

In partnership with local ranchers and Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, seasonal cattle grazing occurs on limited sections of the Haskayne Park site. While the protected ecologically sensitive

area/ native grassland remains cattle-free for now, the site's upper half (adjacent to the pavilion building) benefits from seasonal grazing. Visitors can watch from a safe distance as cattle and calves frolic in the warmer months.

Targeted grazing assists in maintaining plant diversity, controls weeds, and minimizes the spread of potential grassland fires.

In Calgary's grassland areas, look for a variety of birds and mammals, such as White-tailed Deer, Coyote, and even the odd American Badger.

The Richardson's Ground Squirrel is often mistakenly called a gopher. However, It plays a crucial role in grassland ecosystems. It is a main food source for several predators, including coyotes, red-tailed hawks, and American badgers. Other creatures like mice, snakes, and insects will also use ground squirrel burrows as a home. Like many mammals, ground squirrels hibernate deep in their burrows during the cold winter, so their predators often migrate to find other food sources until the spring.

During summer, a buzzing sound can frequently be heard in grassy areas, but it's not always a bug! The Clay-colored Sparrow nests in the grass and produces a distinctive buzzing sound. Unfortunately, ground-nesting birds like the Clay-colored sparrow often lose their first nest. This is one of the many reasons why it is crucial to stay on designated pathways.

Coyotes are highly intelligent and social animals. They can learn quickly and are devoted parents. The denning season typically occurs from April to July. During this time, coyotes can become protective of the areas around their den when people or pets get too close.  Stay safe by giving wildlife plenty of space and keeping your dog on a leash.

Coyotes help control populations of other wildlife, especially rodents like Richardson's Ground Squirrels. A good population of coyotes indicates that our city has a variety of healthy wildlife in stable numbers. This biodiversity is important and extremely valuable to Calgary.

Tips for good coyote-human relations:

• Enjoy all wildlife from a distance.
• Be mindful of where your children and pets are, and don’t leave them unattended.
• Keep your dog on a leash
• Carry a loud whistle or other noise-making device with you in areas that have coyotes.
• Throw all garbage in park containers and pick up after your pet.

If there is a conflict or a coyote seems aggressive or approaches you:

• Do NOT run or turn away.
• Scare the coyote by shouting and waving your arms overhead.
• Maintain eye contact and back away slowly.

The Bearspaw Reservoir bounds the southwest boundary of Haskayne Legacy Park.

The Bearspaw Reservoir is created by damming a section of the Bow River. The reservoir supports efforts to reduce the possibility of winter flooding impacts on developed areas downstream and provides electricity during periods of peak electrical demand.

The development was named after Chief Bear’s Paw, one of the signatories of Treaty 7 at Blackfoot Crossing in 1877. Visitors can walk or cycle on the regional pathway while taking spectacular views of the reservoir.

You might spot a Cliff Swallow in this area. These birds zoom around in elaborate aerial patterns to catch insects. When feeding in flocks with other species of swallows, they often stay higher in the air. They build mud nests in colonies on cliff ledges along the Bow River.

Can you see them up in the sky along the regional pathway?

Southwest of the Canadian Pacific Railway are protected grasslands with hectares of native fescue grassland. Only 16% of historical fescue grassland (untilled and in its original state) remains in Alberta and even less of this is in healthy condition. This area includes unique ecosystems of plant species and habitats for local wildlife. It is very important to remain on the pathway.

Visitors can observe many birds, like the Yellow-rumped Warbler and Long-eared Owl, who use the site as a resting stop while migrating. You might spot a Western Meadowlark in these grasslands as they forage for insects and seeds. However, they are typically more easily heard than seen.