We understand that this is a very popular space and wanted to re-open the greater park area as quickly as possible. To complete native revegetation, we are balancing park access with the ecological requirements of re-establishing this vegetation. After construction, fencing will be strategically placed to help protect key areas and encourage the new native vegetation to establish. There will be regular openings along the fence to maintain connections to all trails and ensure dogs can access the centre of the park. This fencing will remain in place until the native seed is established. We appreciate your cooperation in protecting these areas. These enhancements will improve the quality of the park ecosystem and biodiversity in the long term.

This hill is not considered an official tobogganing site in the city. For safety reasons, the Parks and Pathways Bylaw prohibits tobogganing or sledding downhill in any City-maintained park except the ones listed on tobogganing and sledding.

Tobogganing is an activity that you do at your own risk. The City is not responsible for any personal injury or damage to personal items.

We are aware of coyote sightings in the area and have asked our contractor and crews on-site to continue to report any wildlife sightings. We encourage you to report sightings by contacting 311 as this is the best way to ensure we are aware of where our wildlife population are, if there are sudden increases. More information specific to urban coyotes can be found on our website: Coyotes (calgary.ca)

Native seed require drastic fluctuations in temperature and moisture to induce germination. Ideal seeding time maximizes these fluctuations and as such, early spring after ground thaw and late fall prior to ground freeze are the best times to seed to optimize germination rate and establishment. When seeding is done during the mid-summer months, there is a chance of germination, but the root will not be developed enough to withstand dry, warm conditions. This leads to die-off and often causes project failure when vegetation cover is absent allowing weed species to colonize the site.

Refer to Natural parks and wetlands (calgary.ca) for more information.

The two trails that run east and west across the top and bottom of the slope will be improved with gravel surfacing. The trail along the top of the slope will be realigned to reduce steep grades.  Low-impact, shallow steps are being built at the northeast access from 19 Street and will be placed at suitable locations, with the least overall disturbance, between the top and bottom trails on the east side of the park. 

Edd Rooney’s memorial plaque will be reinstalled in approximately the same location. Prior to starting any work on-site, Edd Rooney’s family was contacted through the Parks Foundation about the proposed changes.

Grasshopper Hill is a Natural Environment Park and we have worked with City Parks Ecologists throughout the design process, including to develop the Habitat Restoration Plan. A Preliminary Natural Site Assessment, Biophysical Impact Assessment, and Tree Protection Plan were also completed as part of this project.

During engagement, citizens expressed wanting to minimize impact to the natural landscape while supporting improvements to accessibility and gathering spaces. This feedback was incorporated into the design in several ways, including the use of natural materials such as aggregate (pathways), stone and wood, low-profile steps, and preservation of several well-travelled dirt trails. The proposed interventions follow existing degraded areas to the extent possible while improving the accessibility of the north trail and are proactively designed to mitigate disruption from erosion. These include delineating trail alignment to protect sensitive root zones that are prone to compaction (especially the large willow tree), adding natural erosion blankets, and completing revegetation work in key areas. While there will be disruption during construction, these interventions are aimed to support the ecological health of the site long-term. 

We received public feedback over three phases of engagement. From April to May of 2021, citizen input was sought to let help identify potential improvement spaces in the Kensington/Riley area. Grasshopper Hill Off-leash Park was identified as one of these spaces. Later in November to December of 2021, citizens were asked for input on different design options illustrating potential park improvements with the goals of improving park accessibility and community gathering amenities. This feedback was used along with technical analysis and cost considerations to select the projects that would be carried forward for implementation.

In April to May of 2022, during the third and final phase of engagement, we revealed the prioritized projects and the accompanying design illustrations. We asked for public feedback to help inform project design and identify any gaps. Visit Kensington Area Improvements to view engagement results.

In addition to online engagement, the project team participated in a neighbourhood walk in November 2021 and attended the Local Area Plan Open House in January 2023 to share project plans and gather in-person feedback.

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