The historic neighbourhoods of Bridgeland and Riverside meet on the main street of 1 Avenue NE. Situated in the most ideal spot to build a community, with the escarpment to block the north winds, its abundance of southern sun, and its proximity to the river, Bridgeland-Riverside welcomed many of Calgary’s first European immigrants from Italy, Germany, and Ukraine. Prior to European settlement, in the 1880s and 1890s, this site was a Siksika camp, which was also home to the famed Siksika runner, Api-kia-ees, who became widely known under the pseudonym Deerfoot. Today, Bridgeland-Riverside is well-known for its historic tree-lined streets, the Calgary Zoo, Telus Spark, and St. Patrick’s Island, which recently received the top award for Great Public Spaces from the Canadian Institute of Planners.
Over the last two decades, Bridgeland-Riverside has seen tremendous change and is expected to undergo more in the years to come. Thanks to the tireless effort of their community association and volunteers, this incredibly energetic and dynamic neighbourhood is constantly piloting ground-breaking projects to further lock-in Bridgeland-Riverside as a social and cultural destination in our city. This work is clearly paying off as it was named Calgary’s Best Neighbourhood in 2017.
