Calgary’s Martin Family Legacy Garden to debut as Canada’s first dementia-friendly public park
Calgary’s Martin Family Legacy Garden, Canada’s first dementia-friendly public park, opens this fall in Forest Lawn with colour-coded paths, sensory gardens and multigenerational play.
The Martin Family Legacy Garden, billed as Canada’s first public park designed specifically for people living with dementia and their caregivers, is nearing completion in southeast Calgary. The dementia-friendly garden sits in Southview Park in the Dover/Forest Lawn neighbourhood and will join the city’s municipal parks inventory when it opens to the public this autumn. Project leaders say the site is intended to offer safe, dignified outdoor space that supports independence while serving families across generations.
Martin Family Legacy Garden to open in Forest Lawn
The garden occupies a prominent spot in Southview Park, just off 26th Avenue and 34th Street S.E., chosen for its proximity to seniors’ services and community groups. Parks Foundation Calgary led the project with support from the City of Calgary and more than 70 private donors who helped raise just over $5 million for construction. Groundbreaking took place in May 2025 and a formal ribbon-cutting is planned for Sept. 21, World Alzheimer’s Day, though officials say the garden may welcome visitors before the official ceremony.
Design prioritizes navigation and autonomy
Planners incorporated wide, looping paths that are colour coded and paired with distinct handrails to make wayfinding clearer for people experiencing cognitive impairment. The three continuous walking loops circle a central gazebo and use visual cues, artwork and consistent materials to reduce confusion and reinforce orientation. Designers emphasized that the features are meant to bolster autonomy, not restrict movement, providing a balance of freedom and safety for people living with dementia and peace of mind for caregivers.
Research and lived experience shaped features
Parks Foundation Calgary consulted with Alzheimers Calgary and researchers from the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University to inform accessible design choices. Project leaders also engaged people with lived experience and their families during development, ensuring the layout responds to real-world needs rather than only clinical recommendations. Foundation CEO Cynthia Watson said that combining academic input with lived experience produced practical solutions, and that other cities have already contacted the foundation to learn from the initiative.
Multigenerational amenities and inclusive programming
Beyond dementia-specific wayfinding, the garden includes sensory planting beds, shaded seating, bench swings, gazebos and open lawns meant for casual recreation and gatherings. A playground was designed to accommodate families caring for both children and older adults, allowing multiple generations to use the space together. Project manager John Rau described the park as “a great public park for everyone,” noting that many of the features will appeal broadly while addressing a demographic historically underserved in public space planning.
Community partners and nearby services
The site’s location was selected in part for its closeness to the Greater Forest Lawn 55+ Society and Bethany Riverview, a specialized seniors’ care centre with dementia services. Those partnerships informed programming ideas and potential volunteer or outreach activities once the garden opens. Organizers hope the proximity to service providers will also encourage informal visits and strengthen neighbourhood support networks for people living with cognitive decline.
Funding, capacity and future plans
Funding came from a mix of municipal support and philanthropic contributions, with Parks Foundation Calgary reporting more than 70 donors contributed to the roughly $5 million build. The foundation says the Martin Family Legacy Garden is intended as a model that can be adapted by other municipalities across Canada and beyond. Officials expect the garden to be added to the City of Calgary’s parks inventory and hope the project will spur further investment in dementia-inclusive public spaces.
Calgary health advocates note the timing of the project is urgent: more than 20,000 residents in the city are currently living with dementia, and local projections from Alzheimers Calgary estimate that figure could climb to about 34,000 by the end of this decade. Organizers and planners say public, accessible outdoor spaces play an important role in quality of life for those affected and their caregivers.
The garden’s final landscaping and finishing touches are underway as crews prepare for public access later this year, and Parks Foundation Calgary expects the Martin Family Legacy Garden to become both a local amenity and a national example of inclusive park design.
