Lawrey Gardens, erroneously known as Lowrey Gardens[1] is an urban park in southwest Calgary, Alberta along the Bow River.
Description
Lawrey Gardens is located on the southern bank of the Bow River just north of the Spruce Cliff neighbourhood. The Bow River pathway goes through the park connecting it with Edworthy Park in the west and Pumphouse Park to the east. In the west, the Douglas Fir Trail sits between it and the neighbourhood of Spruce Cliff, and in the eastern part of the park it borders the Shaganappi Point Golf Course and connects to Shaganappi Park by the Bow Trail Pedestrian Bridge. The Canadian Pacific Railway runs diagonally through the entirety of the park, with the Quarry Road Trail connecting with the Douglas Fir Trail to the south of the Railway and the Bow River pathway crossing Lawrey Gardens north of it.
Facilities & activities
The park features no facilities, and is mostly undeveloped besides from trails. Activities in the park include dog-walking, fishing, birdwatching,[2] and biking. The gravel banks in the park are popular places for picnics and sunbathing.
History
The park is named after John Lawrey, who settled in the area in 1882 and established a market garden which supplied railway workers and settlers with fresh produce.[3] He died in 1904, and his two nephews lived on the property up until World War I.[2] The area of the park formerly hosted multiple now demolished buildings.[3] In 1962 the area of the park was purchased by the city to be developed into a park.
