The Confluence Looks Ahead: A 20‑Year Plan Takes Shape

On Wednesday, May 27th, The Confluence and Parkland unveiled a new site concept, complete with renders on what the site is to look like one day. The event had presentations, and interviews with staff of the Confluence, the Hatlie Group, and 02 Planning and Design. Hatlie and 02 were plan developers, alongside Reimagine Architects.

Hatlie Group, due to the importance of the site to the Indigenous people, conducted Indigenous engagement sessions, where key themes and concepts from those meetings were incorporated into this 20 year plan.

The 42-acre site is the second largest greenspace in Calgary, and will eventually welcome in new pathways, gardens, shade structures, and more, to help welcome visitors to the land. New amenities are also planned, a powwow arbor, a chilled hockey rink, and a covered stage that will eventually hold between 3,000 and 5,000 seats, and another 13,000 in capacity.

The concept plan is not finalized, and is not guaranteed, but the rendering and first plan will serve as a way to communicate and explore more ideas for the site. The plan also serves as a way to align with the current East Village Master Plan, and allows the Confluence to keep pace with some of the other revitalizing projects taking place in Calgary’s downtown area.

The whole process followed a Biocultural Diversity Framework, which treats the land and culture as inseparable, allowing these plans to be grounded in diverse perspectives and respect.

We got to chat with Confluence President, Jennifer Thompson about the unveiling, and why now was the right time to re-think the site.

Jennifer told us about what aspects of the re-design are open to community input.

We asked Jennifer about the role that Elders and Knowledge Keepers played in the re-design and unveiling.

Jennifer talked to us about the next steps, now that the renders and plan have been made public.

More details on the unveiling, the plan and how it came to be, you can click here. The Confluence is working to establish a phasing plan and detailed budget information in the coming months.