Jack Long Park reopens after four-year redevelopment

Ater a four-year redevelopment period, the City of Calgary is reopening Jack Long Park for public use.

The park is a green space located in Inglewood directly west of the Alexandra Centre near the downtown core.

The park now offers “a new recreational space for families and youth including a natural play area, picnic tables and large family style harvest table,” the City of Calgary said in a press release. Other new amenities that are mentioned are paved areas for events and kiosks.

Jack Long Park began redevelopment in October of 2018, but construction was suspended in 2019 after artifacts from pre-contact First Nations and Calgary’s early days were discovered. After an assessment was completed, construction resumed in the spring of 2020.

Ward 9 Councillor Gian-Carlo Carra says that he is excited about what has been redeveloped.

“I’m thrilled about the enhancements at Jack Long Park.” he said in a press release.

The name isn’t the only connection the Long family has to the park: Margot Long, Jack Long’s daughter is the landscape architect who designed the upgrades to the park for the redevelopment.

WHO WAS JACK LONG?

The park is named after Jack Long, an architect who had a large impact on the way Calgary communities were built. He had fought for communities to be more involved in the way they were built, stating that “there is an infinity of possible viewpoints, but the only one that can be said to be proper is the standpoint or viewpoint of the community itself.” The city said that they used his spirit to engage with the public before redevelopment.

The name isn’t the only connection the Long family has to the park: Margot Long, Jack Long’s daughter is the landscape architect who designed the upgrades to the park for the redevelopment.