'Sign of the times': Bowness residents watch as rezoning, construction changes community around them
In the northwest Calgary community of Bowness, single-family homes are making way for multi-family apartments and row houses.
Dee Allen lives on Bowwood Road, where rezoning and construction are visible from blocks away in either direction.
Allen has witnessed the changes from her front porch, observing the demolition of houses across from her on Bowwood Drive to accommodate new developments.
"It's like losing a good friend," Allen said about the loss of her community's original charm.
The redevelopment has sparked mixed reactions among Bowness residents.
Some, like Jesse Murphy, who resides in a new row house, welcome the change, as it provides much-needed housing.
"These big, multi-family units, as soon as it's done, it's full," Murphy said.
"I don't know where all these people were living before, but ... this is necessary."
Others like Allen fear the loss of the community's identity.
"This isn't progress. It's going backwards," Allen said.
"This is going backwards. We're going to lose our community, and it's so precious."
Alkarim Devani, co-founder of Calgary-based Round Square, the developer behind some of the new construction, encourages locals to embrace the evolution.
"The things that make our communities vibrant, that are the communities that we all want to live in, is that change," Devani said.
"It comes with the coffee shop, it comes with the amenities, it comes with the investment and walkability."
Jim Angevine, another resident, sees the redevelopment as inevitable.
"It's a sign of the times. Always, things change. It's one thing in life you can count on," Angevine said.
"I think, in the long run, it'll work. Things usually work out in the long run. That's what I always find."
As Bowness continues to evolve, the debate over the pace and scale of rezoning reflects the broader challenges Calgary faces in balancing growth with community preservation.
Public hearings on a plan to allow so-called "blanket rezoning" will continue at city council throughout the week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6972157.1721587842!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
BREAKING NEWS Joe Biden drops out of 2024 race, endorses Kamala Harris to be Democratic nominee
U.S. President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, ending his bid for re-election after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about the incumbent's fitness for office with the election just four months away. It was a late-season campaign thunderstrike unlike any in American history.
Justin Trudeau reacts to Joe Biden announcing he won't run for re-election
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the news that U.S. President Joe Biden won’t run for re-election Sunday, calling Biden a 'true friend.'
What happens next: Joe Biden wants to pass the baton to Kamala Harris. Here's how that might work
With U.S. President Joe Biden ending his re-election bid and endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris, Democrats now must navigate a shift that is unprecedented this late in an election year.
Read Biden's full text announcing the end to his re-election campaign
U.S. President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign on Sunday after fellow Democrats lost faith in his mental acuity and ability to beat Donald Trump. He announced his decision in a letter posted on social media. Read the full text.
Harris, endorsed by Biden, could become first woman, second Black person to be U.S. president
Kamala Harris could become the first Black woman to head a major U.S. party presidential ticket after U.S. President Joe Biden abruptly ended his re-election bid and endorsed her.
The pilot who died in crash after releasing skydivers near Niagara Falls has been identified
NEW YORK (AP) — Officials on Sunday released the name of a pilot who died in a skydiving flight after her passengers jumped from the aircraft near the Niagara Falls.
LCBO workers ratify tentative agreement, strike ends Monday
The union representing 10,000 workers at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) has ratified a tentative agreement, which will officially end its two-week strike at 12:01 a.m. Monday.
Joy in Newfoundland after 'Lucky 7' fishers survive harrowing days lost at sea
There was a powerful word being repeated in the joyful Newfoundland community of New-Wes-Valley on Sunday: 'Miracle.'
A Florida woman was killed 24 years ago. DNA evidence just helped police make an arrest in the cold case
A Florida woman’s brutal killing nearly 25 years ago may finally be solved after authorities arrested the suspect this week, according to the Sanford Police Department.