Nestled quietly along the Bow River in southeast Calgary, Carburn Park isn’t the sort of place that demands attention. It doesn’t need to. The magic of the place lies in its subtlety and in the way the light hits the ice just right on a Boxing Day afternoon, in the sudden stillness when a deer lifts its head and stares back at you without fear, in the scratch of a skate blade echoing against the banks. For some, it’s just another greenspace. For those who know its story, and for families like the Hamiltons who return year after year, Carburn Park is so much more.
From Gravel Pit to Sanctuary
To understand why Carburn Park feels like a miracle, you must start with what it was: a gravel pit. Back in the days before its reclamation in 1983, this land was a hive of extraction. Operated by Burnco, the site was mined for the city’s growth where its gravel formed the very bones of Calgary’s roads and foundations. It was purely utilitarian, the kind of place you pass by without noticing. Some would have considered the area an eyesore.
But after Burnco ceased operations, the city saw potential where others saw scarred land. In a visionary act of urban restoration, Calgary began transforming the pit into a naturalized park. What could have been left barren became serene man-made ponds, paved pathways winding through cottonwoods, and a place where wildlife has found a new hideout.
A Family Tradition Forged in Ice
For Brent Hamilton, Carburn Park wasn’t love at first sight, but rather discovery at first convenience. An engineer by trade, Brent first learned of the park while working in the Jacobs’ building. “It’s almost easier to get to on a bicycle than to drive,” he muses, and that logistical truth became part of the park’s quiet appeal. Brent and his wife Donna are the kind of couple whose deep commitment to family is lived out in moments, not declarations. For them, outdoor experiences that invite their kids into the natural world are where the best memories are made. It was only natural that when Brent stumbled upon a City of Calgary webpage listing outdoor skating options, Carburn stood out. Not just for its maintained ice, but for its unexpected intimacy.
Boxing Day skating became a highlight each year. The Hamiltons bundle up, pack thermoses and skates, and set out for the park. The ice is professionally cleared with a machine, making a generous loop for skaters of all ages. Speakers play Christmas music, and the glow of string lights around the yurt and walkways adds a touch of cinematic wonder. It’s like stepping into a snow globe in the middle of the city.
Nature at the River’s Edge
It’s not just the man-made transformation that makes Carburn special, though. What astonishes even seasoned outdoorsy families like the Hamiltons is how alive it is. While the ice echoes with the laughter of children and the slice of skates, just a few meters away deer forage lazily in the brush. On more than one occasion, Brent has counted three within view, acting calm, curious, and completely unbothered.
Beavers, too, are regulars. Their lodges pepper the banks, their quiet industry evident in the freshly chewed logs and precisely felled saplings. Overhead, songbirds chirp even in the cold months, and during summer visits, the air is alive with the sound of Canada geese taking off over the historic Balsam Poplar tree.
“The wildlife experience is comparable to Kananaskis, but it’s practically in our backyard,” Brent notes. It’s not hyperbole. There’s a quiet thrill in seeing a beaver up close without having to drive two hours and hike into the backcountry. The accessibility is part of the magic.
A Park that Grows with You
Though Boxing Day is the emotional apex of the Hamiltons’ year at Carburn, they come more than just once annually. Spring and summer bring their own charms: birdwatching off the floating dock, casting a line for catch-and-release fishing, wandering the shoreline in search of frogs and dragonflies. There are well-maintained public washrooms, picnic areas, and wide-open spaces for playing, sitting, reflecting. Carburn isn’t just one kind of park, it adapts to whatever the day demands: a romantic walk, a raucous family picnic, or a solitary sunrise with nothing but the birds for company.
Remembering What Matters
Like so many beloved spots, Carburn Park can be easy to overlook if you don’t know its story. You might walk the trails without realizing the ground beneath you once echoed with the rumble of trucks and the bite of machines. At one time, it was the right-of-way for a railway line that was to have run between Calgary and Montana.
Brent’s connection to Carburn reflects the quiet ways that Calgary’s reclaimed green spaces shape our lives. He’s not one to preach or post photos every visit. He just goes faithfully, enthusiastically and brings his family along, year after year. And when friends and colleagues (like me) are lucky enough to cross paths with him, the stories spill out: of deer sightings, of near-perfect ice days, of hot chocolate breaks in the car with numb fingers and full hearts.
Don’t Miss the Miracle
If you’ve never been to Carburn Park, consider this your gentle nudge. Don’t wait for a perfect day. Go now, in whatever season it happens to be. Bring a mug of tea, lace up your boots or your skates and just look around. Take in the deer tracks in the snow, the slow curl of the Bow River, the way the lights twinkle just so.
Somewhere, a beaver is building. Somewhere, kids are learning to skate while a parent steadies them. Somewhere, a family like the Hamiltons is creating yet another memory that won’t make the news or a trending feed but will be treasured just the same. And all of this, incredibly, is waiting in a place where once there was only gravel. Learn more about the history of Carburn Park here.
