Glenmore Reservoir

Nearly half of Calgary's water supply is drawn from the Glenmore Reservoir, which is fed by the Elbow River. Built in 1932, with a cost of $3.8 million, the dam controls the downstream flow of the Elbow River.

The Glenmore Reservoir is located on land originally settled by Calgary pioneer Sam Livingston, who gave the area the name Glenmore (Gaelic for "big valley"). Construction of the Glenmore dam and reservoir began on July 26, 1930, with an official sod-turning ceremony. It was the largest public works project ever undertaken by the City at the time, and also provided some much-needed employment for young men during the Great Depression. The City purchased 539.5 acres from the Tsuut'ina Nation, which was at the time called the Sarcee Indian Reservation. 

The reservoir's perimeter features a scenic, uninterrupted 16km multi-use pathway/pedestrian and cycling trail along the water's edge, connecting popular city destinations such as the Heritage Marina beach, Heritage Park Historical Village, South Glenmore Park, Glenmore Sailing Club, Weaselhead Flats Natural Environment Park, North Glenmore Park, Calgary Canoe Club, Calgary Rowing Club, and the Earl Grey Golf Club. 

Despite how busy it can get (and trust me, it gets VERY busy on any given Sunday afternoon!), I love this ride. From my house in SW Calgary (Woodbine), I have a great little 30 km loop that takes just over an hour to ride. I prefer the clockwise direction which has several advantages from an elevation and hill perspective. Sections are flowy and smooth but I must reiterate that you must keep your head on a swivel for flesh pylons and radar traps if you are going to pick up any amount of speed. My advice is to cycle this route in off-peak hours and avoid weekends if at all possible.