Five years after the tragic deaths of Kaiti Perras, Josh Hunter, Jordan Segura, Lawrence Hong and Zackariah Rathwell at a university party in Brentwood, their families are coming together to build a garden that honours their memories.

Calgary's parks offer something for just about everyone, including people who love to stay fit.

The City currently has 22 parks with permanent outdoor fitness equipment, and a pilot project last summer saw temporary equipment set up in three additional communities on a rotating basis.

Tradition continues thanks to civic and volunteer support

Skating in the great outdoors is as Canadian as hockey sticks and double-doubles – a tradition that is now thriving in Calgary thanks to renewed civic support and the ongoing dedication of community volunteers.

The City of Calgary reports that outdoor skating rinks are experiencing a resurgence in the city, supported by a number of initiatives that encourage communities to take ownership of their facilities.

More than 35 communities have signed up for the Adopt A Rink program this year, where the City provides boards to allow flooding on an ice surface, which is then maintained by community volunteers.

From Chaparral to Sage Hill, off-leash areas are becoming more common in Calgary neighbourhoods

A few years ago, Amy Malke bought her first place: a condo downtown, just two blocks from River Park. Although she didn't have a dog at the time, she'd often wander through the off-leash area and dream of having a pup of her own.

That dream was realized much sooner than she'd expected. Six months after moving in, she adopted her beloved Schnauzer, Maximus, from a colleague whose child was allergic. After that, she frequented the park daily — and not just for Max's enjoyment.

"One of my friends calls [the dog park] his third space. There's work, there's home and there's a third space — a place you go to every day or even a few times a week, that's not work or home," she said. "Some people have a coffee shop. Others have church. But for dog people, it's the dog park."

Developing urban ecosystems in our own yards

When thinking about preserving complex ecosystems, many people think of our provincial parks and large-scale grasslands. However, with the total urban land in Canada doubling in the last 40 years, it's impossible to ignore the native species that fill the patchwork of green spaces that are our yards.

Birds, in particular, are not only losing their natural habitats faster than you can say "tweet," but are also being eliminated in massive amounts by their number one predator — house cats.

"As far as habitat in Calgary for many of our local bird species, it just doesn't exist anymore or it's really degraded," said Barbara Kowalzik, a program advisor with The City of Calgary Parks Department at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and Nature Centre.

"A good example is our wetlands. Over 98 per cent of our wetlands have been lost or degraded so that habitat just doesn't exist. Whatever the citizens of Calgary can do in their own yards to promote that local habitat, will really help."

In order to address changing needs and a growing amount of visitors to Stanley Park, City of Calgary Parks is encourage the public to review design concepts and proposed management strategies with an open house June 15.

"We hope to enhance visitors' experience and boost the park's environmental health through redevelopment," said Keith Parker, parks manager in charge of planning and development. "We are working with a number of stakeholders to identify refurbishment needs as well as management practices that best balance the needs of all park users."

The open house will be held at the Parks Administration Building at the park. Park representatives will be on hand as well as representatives from Stantec consulting team. There will be displays and an opportunity to comment on the draft vision, goals and guiding principles for the management strategies as well as a review of two design concepts for the park.