It is difficult to fathom, but the man who led the anti-Bow River Flow campaign will now be participating in it. This is a good thing.

I am on the organizing committee of the Bow River Flow and it hasn’t been pleasant. At a meeting last Tuesday night we had a group of residents wanting blood. I could barely comprehend that an event like the Bow River Flow would be an event that would bring out the pitch forks. Obviously there are deep underlying roots of resentment.

Calgarians are getting all worked up over nothing, again. Hopefully with City Councillor Ric McIver on board, residents can calm down and enjoy the event on Sunday August 23rd.

What is the Bow River Flow? The following is the vision statement found on the www.bowriverflow.ca website:

“The Bow River Flow will not compete with the great festivals already taking place in our city. It is an occasion to celebrate healthy active lifestyles - a non-commercialized, non-motorized celebration where one day of the week we share the road and allow excess lanes to be enjoyed by people in a safe, car-free environment.

Its an opening, not a closure. The event simply opens space for Calgarians to stroll the historic Memorial Drive promenade, relax, unwind, breathe in some fresh air, perhaps take in a yoga session, or just enjoy the cool breezes off the river.

The Bow River Flow celebrates our future and our past. It is an occasion to enjoy the natural beauty of our River Valley. It is a natural evolution in the process of creating a healthy, vibrant, sustainable city. It is the embodiment of our city’s new transportation vision that recognizes the importance of promoting active modes of travel. It is a coming-out event for the newly designed Parkway. It is an opportunity for all Calgarians to remember those for whom the Parkway has been named and to share in this ‘Landscape of Memory’.

The Bow River Flow is Calgary’s answer to similar events that have blossomed in cities all over the world – Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, Paris, New York, San Francisco, Bogota and more. It is part of a world-wide renaissance of cities built for people.

In its first year, the Bow River flow will take place adjacent to the community of Hillhurst-Sunnyside. In future years, we envision communities all along the riverfront co-hosting the event.

So join us on August 23^rd (from 10am to 4pm between 10 St and 3 St NW on Memorial Drive). Leave your car at home. Bring your family, your neighbours, your grandparents, your pets, your bicycles, your tricycles, your in-line skates, you wheelchairs, your scooters, your yoga mats, your picnic baskets. Join the Flow - roll, float and stroll.”

The Bow River Flow is a chance for us to remind ourselves to chill out and relax until we have enough information to make an informed decision. It is also a chance for organizers to be more cognizant of how to improve our communication skills.

The Bow River Flow is just another example of residents, our media, and some city councillors turning an ant hill into a volcano. We need to channel our eruptive anger into energy that is fertile, productive and positive. We need to go with the Bow River Flow. 

                   Thanks to the Arusha Centre for advertising in the Calgary Cowbell!