Alberta’s first mental health park opens in Calgary

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Officials and community partners cut the ribbon on a new green space billed as Alberta’s first-ever mental health park in Calgary on Saturday afternoon, noting the facility as an important amenity for Calgarians.

After a soft launch over the summer, work on the Brawn Family Foundation Park is now officially complete. Officials say the one-of-a-kind park will provide a space for children and teens in the care of The Summit: Marian & Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience in Calgary’s Briar Hill/Hounsfield Heights community, as well as members of the public.

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Led by the Calgary Parks Foundation, the park has been three years in the making and is now a reality thanks to the collaboration of the city and the province, as well as donors like the namesake Brawn family, the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Calgary Foundation, the Calgary Flames Foundation and local Rotary clubs.

“It’s a truly unique and special place that we hope helps families for many years to come,” said Sheila Taylor, CEO of the Parks Foundation.

Taylor noted that just more than a year ago, the space was nothing but a chainlink fence and a grassy area. She described it as being “as institutional and unfriendly as you can imagine.” Now, the park features a climbing structure, a sports court, a pavilion, community pathways, bench swings, and space for meditation and reflection.

“While you’ll see calming sensory-focused elements like a walking labyrinth, you’re also gonna see areas where you can let off a little steam in the recreational elements,” said Taylor.

Taylor said the “mental health park” designation is one based on research and consultation with health professionals.

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“There are meditative elements, sensory elements, but there’s also recreation and fun built-in because we know that physical activity is essential to mental health recovery,” she said, noting it’s specifically designed to accommodate older children and teens. “We know that the more time they can spend outside — that will really be helpful for them with their recovery.”

The park has already been put to good use by patients at The Summit, said Avril Deegan, Alberta Health Services’ director of child and adolescent addiction and mental health. She said many patients choose to spend their free time in the space, noting the hammocks as a “huge hit.”

“Some have even fallen asleep while gently swaying and gazing at the sky,” she said, also noting the donut-shaped rock wall as a nice retreat for kids, who often hang out at the top of the structure. “This outdoor setting has transformed their meditative exercises, making it a more meaningful experience.”

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek noted the facility is an important addition to Calgary’s roster of parks and mental health supports.

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“For families to be able to sit out here and lie in the hammocks and climb the wall gives them a break from the seriousness of the situation that they find themselves in,” she said. “Places and spaces like this are critical for healing.”

The park is located adjacent to The Summit at 1205 17A Street N.W.

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