Neighbourhood Walks, International Connections : Airdrie to Calgary Airport

Walking into cities typically isn't an aesthetically exciting experience, but we were very pleased to discover that Calgary and its satellite cities have a wonderful network of paved cycling trails which we spent most of the day navigating. 

We began by following a paved cycling pathway through a string of green spaces established along Nose Creek.  Today the creek is a small and quiet waterway that winds through modern subdivisions.  Interpretive panels along its length suggest that it originated when the Continental (Laurentide) and Western (Cordilleran) ice sheets receded several millennia ago, at which point it was likely much larger and more lively. 

As we followed its quiet meanders through Airdrie we spotted a young Great Blue Heron fishing with great concentration along its shores.  In a small storm water drainage pond beside the creek a pair of Canada Geese with quite young goslings still in tow paddled past. A group of Mallards were napping out on a sandy spit, while a pair of Blue-winged Teals, also with several young babies in tow, paddled along the shore.  It seemed like the young ducklings in this urban area were born later in the season than the ones we've been seeing in more rural ponds and sloughs.

The Trans Canada Trail followed Nose Creek under the unusual looking field stone Martin McKee Bridge, which was named after a prominent citizen who was instrumental in developing Airdrie during the 1980s.  

Shortly after this, we crossed over the Airdrie Nose Creek Bridge (aka the Pony Truss Bridge, Edwards Way Bridge, Elevators Bridge, and Beer Bridge at different times).  When it was constructed in 1928, this bridge was important to the development of Airdrie, because it provided a link to the grain elevators that used to stand beside the railway tracks, and it linked the north and south sidings.  It is now the last remaining structure associated with the railway station grounds and historic grain elevators of Airdrie. 

The trail continued on, weaving through modern subdivisions as it followed the course of the creek.  We then made the first of many highway crossings on a elevated pedestrian bridge.  From this vantage point we got one of our first glimpses of downtown Calgary - its towers just visible through the haze.

One of the other highlights of this trail section was crossing through Nose Creek Regional Park.  This 20 acre urban green space had an amphitheatre, a picnic area, a covered shelter, and a pond with a fountain that is stocked with trout twice every summer.  As we walked through there were a lot of children sitting around the water's edge with fishing rods, trying their luck. There was also a large family picnic going on in the shelter, adding a very festive air to park. 

At the far edge we were intrigued to find a large memorial to Jose Rizal (1861-1896).  He is a Philippine National hero, who was a physician, poet, writer, educator, linguist, and inventor.  His novels 'Noli me Tangere' and 'El Filibusterismo', which were written in the late 1800's, exposed colonial oppression of the Filipinos, and became a huge influence in the 1896 Philippine Revolution.  He was executed on December 30, 1896 for inciting revolution, but his martyrdom ultimately led to Philippine Independence in 1898.  

While Jose Rizal sounds like a highly accomplished and inspiring figure who changed the course of Philippine history, we couldn't figure out why this historical marker came to be in Airdrie.  Apparently there are similar statues to this hero in many countries around the world, including others he never visited.  Either way, we came away having learned something new. 

Right beside the monument to Dr. José Rizal was Gwacheon Park.  This small space boasted several tall wooden figures inscribed with Korean writing.  Airdrie has been twinned with Gwacheon, Korea.  The sister city relationship was intended to encourage the cities of both cities to share cultural relationships, develop friendships, and explore business opportunities. The six hand crafted totem poles were gifted to Airdrie by Gwacheon in 2007. 

After crossing back over the highway and leaving the suburban neighbourhoods of Airdrie behind, the trail wove through an extremely affluent neighbourhood, with large homes set back on huge properties.  After that it veered back towards the highway. While boxing around multiple bowties for the on and off ramps of highways is never fun, we very much appreciated the paved cycling trail and safe crossings.

Not too long after leaving Airdrie the daily afternoon storm rolled in and the sky darkened alarmingly (at least from the perspective of someone who still isn't used to the storms of the west).  Luckily a good soaking was the worst of it, and in some ways it was a nice change from the intense heat.  However, as we made our way towards and then around the Calgary International Airport it felt like an endless and exposed walk.  We were grateful for the wonderful pathway, but the noise from multiple highways, the airport, and the city itself made for a somewhat less than inspiring trek.  Tomorrow we will have a chance to explore Calgary, the city lovingly nicknamed "Cowtown" and we are very excited to see what it has to offer.

See you on the trail!

Remember to follow our entire adventure here : www.comewalkwithus.online