Marathon Man: Day Trip to the Botanical Gardens of Silver Springs

Martin Parnell takes a day trip from Cochrane to discover the history and horticultural highlights of the Silver Springs community. Sue and I are always looking for day trips we can take from Cochrane. The other night our friend Penny mentioned that her walking group was going to the Botanical Gardens of Silver Springs. I had never heard of these gardens so it was time to do some digging. The Botanical Gardens of Silver Springs in Calgary, Alberta, was developed from a grassroots community effort. The transformation began in 2002 when the BP Birthplace Forest program planted 7,000 trees to beautify a bare strip of land along Crowchild Trail. By 2007, local residents started planting flowers, leading to the creation of the first formal 100-foot Wall Garden. Collaborating with the Silver Springs Community Association, the site expanded dramatically. Today, it spans over 20 unique specialty areas, including a Shakespearean garden and Canada's largest outdoor plant labyrinth. It is operated entirely by volunteers. So on a warm Friday morning we headed east on the 1A towards Calgary. The gardens are 30 minutes away however on each of our day's out the first stop is always coffee and a treat. Checking around the community of Silver Springs I found the perfect spot … Cafe Le Matin. The place was hopping so Sue and I grabbed a couple of flat whites and an almond and chocolate scone......yummy! Just around the corner were the gardens and we started to explore. The day was getting hotter and hotter so it was great that there was some shade and lots of park benches. Along the pathways we visited the Alpine Crevice and Native Plant garden, the Pelican garden, the Labyrinth and the Yardsmart Demonstration garden. This garden offers an opportunity for individuals to build their own garden with the help from the Botanical Garden Society, the Calgary Horticultural Society and The City of Calgary. For more information go to calgary.ca/yardsmart . After spending a couple of hours walking the pathways it was time for lunch. I was wracking my brains as to where to go ... then I had a brain wave. If it's Friday it must be fish and chips. I googled what was around Silver Springs and jackpot … found the Pelican Pier. Entering the restaurant it was like we had returned to the seaside. Manager Brandy welcomed us and shared some history of the place. She told us that Pelican Pier was established in 1985, as a family-owned seafood restaurant and fish market. The business originally began as a highly successful food kiosk operating inside downtown Calgary's Eau Claire Market. It eventually expanded and relocated to its permanent location in the North Haven neighbourhood. For lunch, I selected the haddock and Sue the cod … amazing. Another fun day out in and around Cochrane. © 2026 Martin Parnell [email protected] www.martinparnell.com