Bowness

Bowness is a northwest Calgary community with a long, rich history. Located on the southern banks of the Bow River, it was once a self-governing town.  In the 1800’s the land, a large ranch, was owned by a British solicitor, James Hextall, whose vision it was to create an exclusive residential suburb. In 1911 he donated two islands on the Bow River to the City of Calgary for use as a park – now known as Bowness Park. In return, the City of Calgary extended street car access to the area for all Calgarians to enjoy. In 1964, Bowness was annexed to Calgary.

Today, Bowness is a culturally diverse and vibrant community. In 2012, the population of Bowness was 11,000, with a mix of homes, including single family, semi-detached, townhomes and apartments – a large percentage of Bowness residents are renters.

Bowness offers a wide range of properties from heritage homes and former military housing dating back to the pre-1950’s to large, contemporary riverfront properties. Real estate ranges in price from $160,000 for a condominium to upwards of $1million for large, spacious homes along the river. Over 30% of dwellings in Bowness are apartments and condominiums.

Below the bluffs of the community of Silver Springs, Bowness is bordered by the Bow River on the north and east, 16th Avenue on the south, and Stoney Trail on the west.  One of the most attractive features of living in Bowness is its proximity to Bowness Park, one of Calgary’s most notable and popular year round destinations. The park, now 100 years old, is situated between the Bow River and a lagoon and is widely used for all kinds of recreation, from picnics, boating, and skating in winter. There are miles of trails for walking and bicycling and the park is connects to the city’s extensive pathway system.

Bowness Park aside, there are plenty of other recreational opportunities for Bowness residents nearby,  including Edworthy Park, Shouldice Pool, and Bowmont Park. Canada Olympic Park, used during the 1988 Winter Olympics is minutes away and offers skiing and snowboarding programs for the whole family. The Trans Canada Highway provides quick access to Kananaskis Country and Banff National Park.

Bowness is ideally located and within a short driving distance to the University of Calgary, the Alberta Children’s Hospital, Foothills Hospital, and one of Calgary’s top family shopping centres, Market Mall. Bowness has seen significant change and revitalization with a new area redevelopment plan that has attracted a number of new businesses to the area that are providing more local shopping opportunities to residents. This modernization has much improved the visual appeal of the neighborhood with attractive landscaping and cobblestone walkways. The Bowness Community association is actively involved in this regeneration to ensure that the community maintains its uniqueness and charm.

Bowness is served by several schools including Belvedere-Parkway Elementary School, Bowcroft Elementary School, Our Lady of the Assumption Elementary and Junior High and Thomas B. Riley Junior High School.  Senior high school students from the community can attend Bowness High School, William Aberhart (Fr.), St. Francis (Fr.) or St. Mary’s. The Bearspaw Christian School and College is also located in Bowness.