Calgary's Chinatown's centenary was in 2010. As part of the celebrations, The City of Calgary Parks designated funding to consult the public on improvements to Sien Lok Park. In 2011, The City of Calgary worked with stakeholder groups and the public to develop a proposed design development plan for Sien Lok Park.
Overwhelming support was received for the plan at the November 23, 2011 public open house at the Chinese Cultural Centre. Most of those who commented indicated that the design would enhance the public green space and better allow for multi-use activities. Thank you to all the citizens who provided input on the plan and have participated throughout the re-design process.
To view the key features on the final Design Development Plan, please view the documents below:
This project is still in the early stages. Before implementation begins, funding must be secured. The project has been submitted as an unfunded capital request to Council for the 2012 – 2014 budget.
Park background
Sien Lok Park is Chinatown's only major public park. It consists of two green spaces located on either side of Riverfront Avenue SW between 1 Street SW and the Centre Street Bridge in Chinatown. The north part of the park sits along the south bank of the Bow River and a popular regional pathway network. The south portion is bordered by a mixture of mid-rise residential and commercial buildings.
Currently, the Sien Lok Park features a central sculpture titled In Search of Gold Mountain, sculpted from 15 tonnes of granite to honour Chinese history within Canada. The park also hosts the Wall of Names public art piece that is dedicated to the history of Chinese immigrants and settlers who made Canada their home between 1886 and 1947.
Project Support Group
In spring 2011, The City of Calgary launched a public design process to examine possibilities of redesigning Sien Lok Park. As a first step, The City engaged key community stakeholders to guide the project as part of a Project Support Group. The support group is comprised of local community leaders who have volunteered their time to help inform the preliminary design process with ideas that consider the broader community needs. The support group includes representatives from:
- Sien Lok Society
- Chinese Cultural Centre
- Chinese Community Services Association
- Chinese Elderly Citizens Association
- United Calgary Chinese Association
- Win Kei Nursing Centre
- Calgary Chinese Merchants Association
