The northwest community of Bowness offers plenty of diversity, thanks to the area's long and varied history. Just take a stroll along the main street and you will feel as though you have stepped back in time.

"Bownesians have this incredible sense of pride. They are proud that they are a small town in the big city," said Jacqui Esler, executive director of the Mainstreet Bowness Business Improvement Area and former main street business owner.

Perched along the shores of the Bow River in Calgary's northwest, the adjacent communities of Montgomery and Bowness share a powerful sense of history.

"Bowness is now 116 years old, with generations of families that still live and work here," said Jacqui Esler, executive director of the Mainstreet Bowness BIA and former main street business owner.

Inhabited by First Nations people long before settlers had notions of calling the banks along the Bow River home, the Bowness/Montgomery area has a history that predates most communities in Calgary.

Bowness would later become one of the city's first satellite communities, complete with its own streetcar line, as part of a scheme by landowner John Hextall to develop an exclusive suburb "in a natural scenic setting of great beauty."

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Having never lost its small town roots, the community of Bowness continues to be a destination for Calgary homeowners.

Going back in time to before the First World War, Bowness was a "suburb perfect" vision of Englishmen John Hextall. Hextall was the visionary behind Bowness Park, originally a weekend retreat for nearby Calgarians, and today a mainstay for those craving nature, relaxation and activity, especially in the winter for skating on the lagoon.

Bowness Park partially reopens to public after two-year closure

Two years after being closed for renovations – with some added delay due to flooding in June 2013 – Bowness Park is partially reopen for business.

The City said the entire west side of the park – including the parking lot, picnic areas and a new central square – is now open to the public. The east end of the park will remain closed until next year.

Storied, flood-damaged park to re-open by end of year

A historical and natural jewel in the city of Calgary, Bowness Park is expected to be once again open to the public by the end of the year.

In the midst of a $12 million redevelopment project, the park was one of the areas hit hardest by June 2013 flooding. Debris lined the canal, a mainstay for winter skating, silt covered the entire park and boulders almost a metre high rolled into roadways and parking lots.