Harvie Passage making waves among kayakers
World-class rapids arise from safety enhancements on the Bow River
The prospects of a new and improved Harvie Passage in the wake of the 2013 flood is floating the boats of Alberta kayakers.
While the $8-million reconstruction of the section of Bow River downstream from the zoo aims to enhance safety and flood resistance, it’s also creating rarely seen world-class kayaking routes, said Chuck Lee of the Alberta Whitewater Association.
“It’s a great project, a Canadian first to have a facility like this in the downtown area, in the urban core,” said Lee, who was involved in designing the passage.
“It was a major attraction before, people were down there all the time, but this will be a much more user-friendly facility.”
Two years of work with a $13-million price tag were washed away by the June 2013 flood, but that presented opportunities to improve on the stretch of river known for its lethal weir, said Carl Wirzba, project team leader.
“We learned a lot as we always do from a disaster,” said Wirzba of Alberta Transportation.
Using natural gravel and boulders bonded with concrete, the passage’s right-hand side channel has been made more stable and longer than it was before 2013 with more numerous and gentler drops for boaters.
The left channel is also being groomed, though it’ll be considerably more challenging for kayakers with its Class 3 rapids, said Wirzba.
“We’re making it safer than the weir, but it’s not a water park,” he said. “It’s still a wild river and some river experience is required.”
That’s just fine for Lee, who’s relishing the prospect of a kayak slalom course through the stretch.
“Our provincial coach is really excited about that,” he said.
The latest version of the passage is designed to survive a onein-100-year flood, though there’ll still be maintenance required, said Wirzba.
Lee agreed.
“We think it’ll be much more resilient,” he said.
For now, the river at the passage remains blocked to users during the latest two-year facelift.
It’s expected to reopen in June 2018.
As for the project’s cost, Lee said it’s a recreational amenity that promises to be heavily used. Calgary’s active whitewater community, he said, numbers about 2,000, while less serious kayakers and boaters are in the tens of thousands.
Wirzba said the work is on schedule and below cost, though the task has its natural challenges.
“A big part of the price tag is that you’re working on a wild river and you have to control it,” he said.
Private groups, he said, were financing other infrastructure, such as slalom course gates.
Before 2012, at least a dozen people died while going over the deadly weir, whose treacherous pull was inescapable.
A year ago, booms were placed along the river at the spot to further alert the public to the danger.
It was a major attraction before, people were down there all the time, but this will be a much more user-friendly facility.