Pumphouse Park: Money Not Well Spent

I bet most Calgarians have never heard of Pumphouse Park. Given Calgary has 5,500+ parks and green spaces you can be forgiven for not knowing every park.

Pumphouse Park is located on the south side of the Bow River just east of the Crowchild Trail bridges (vehicular bridge on top; pedestrian/cycling bridge underneath). It is called Pumphouse Park because it surrounds an old brick pumphouse that was converted 30+ years ago into two theatre spaces, aptly called - Pumphouse Theatres.

The entrance to the park from the south side. The use of blue water pipes for signage is cute.

The entrance to the park from the west side. The path on the right takes you over the railway tracks and under the Bow Trail / LRT bridges into Sunalta’s warehouse district.

Pumphouse Park is not the easiest place to get to. It isn’t a destination park and there are no residents nearby and they have to walk under the Bow Trail overpasses and railway tracks to get there.

Pumphouse History

From 1913 to 1967, Pumphouse No. 2 was an integral component in Calgary's water supply and distribution system. From 1913 to 1933 the pumphouse was the City’s main intake and pumping station supplementing the city's inadequate, gravity-fed, water distribution system with a steady, pressurized supply of water. The structure contained an electrically operated set of pumps, a system of screens (washing apparatus), chemical tanks and a sterilizing plant.

In 1982, major renovations converted the pumproom into the Joyce Doolittle Theatre, the shed section into the Victor Mitchell Theatre.

The Pumphouse building is a formally recognized as a Canadian Historic Place.

Pumphouse Park

For many years the land around the building was more a green space with a few sculptures and picnic tables. However, following public engagement in 2021/2022, the City of Calgary undertook a massive $3.6 million infrastructure and landscaping project to improve the park.  Completed in June 2026, the upgraded park features widened pathways to reduce cyclist and pedestrian congestion, swinging benches made from decorative blue pipes, modern picnic areas, barbecues and a huge permanent fire pit next to the grass area above the pathway.

This is Pumphouse Park as seen from the Bow River Pathway on the south side of the Bow River.

Money Not Well Spent!

One has to question why invest $3.6 million in a park that has no residents nearby and is not a regional park destination.  It is separated from the West Downtown by the now vacant West Village (i.e. empty Greyhound Bus Station and deserted car dealerships). West Hillhurst sits north across the river, but you must go to Crowchild Trail or 14th Street to cross the river. And Sunalta residents have to walk through a seedy warehouse district, under the Bow Trail / LRT bridges and over the CPKC railway tracks to get to the park.

At best, the park is a quick rest stop for walkers and cyclists along the Bow River pathway, so a few standard picnic benches would have done just fine.

I am concerned the huge fire pit seating area (hidden from view by those walking and cycling) that is above the Bow River pathways will be a fire hazard and the hidden green space will encourage camping as there are no “eyes on” that part of the park. 

The main picnic area has decorative lights that would be fitting for a backyard or patio. But, given it doesn’t get dark in Calgary until after 9 pm in the summer, I question the need for lights.  Who is going to be hanging out I the park after 9 pm?  Also, I am not sure the City should be encouraging picnicking in an area where there are no washrooms. 

I doubt this design would pass a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) review. CPTED is a multidisciplinary checklist to ensure the design of public spaces comply with existing best practices for the public safety.  The biggest issue being the lack of “eyes on the park.” 

On the positive side, I love the heavy duty industrial swings looking down to the Bow River, though I expect most people won’t even know they are there. It would have been nice to clear some of the weeds and brush along the shore and add some large flat rocks to sit on so people passing by could casually enjoy the river while in plain view of the people using the pathway.

It would also have made more sense to me to enhance the park as a small sculpture park given it already had a few sculptures and a few more could have been added to create an intimate sculpture walk along the Bow River Trail.  The City probably has sculptures in storage they could have been used for this purpose.

Here you can see the custom built picnic tables with the patio lights strung over the picnic area.

This huge fire pit and bench sits above the river pathway facing the lawn below with the three industrial swings.

“Amy’s Chair,” a fun bench that combines a bright red metal bench with a rock. The artwork pays homage to Joyce Doolittle’s (a pioneer and champion of contemporary theatre in Calgary) daughter Amy who died of ALS as a young adult.

The Stone Sculptures Guild of North America have a couple of sculptures in the park.

Comet, 1983, Kathryn Fodchuk Dobbin

Last Word

The City of Calgary needs to be more strategic and rigorous in its thinking when it comes to  park development. I am sure the $3.6 million could have been used more effectively elsewhere in the city.