The Emerald Awards celebrate organizations, projects, and individuals across Alberta working to address environmental challenges and build a more resilient and sustainable future.

When is a storm pond not just a storm pond? When it’s a Storm Park!

We are thrilled to share that Storm Park, an innovative stormwater feature at the edge of Alpine Park, has been named a finalist in the Emerald Awards for Environmental Excellence, presented by the Alberta Emerald Foundation. Designed and submitted by our engineering partners at Magna Engineering, Storm Park is a study in engineering in plain sight.

As the only awards program of its kind in Canada, the Emerald Awards have recognized over 400 recipients and 900 finalists since 1992, showcasing Alberta as a leader and innovator in the environmental space. The 35th Annual Emerald Awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, June 4th, at the Calgary Central Library. emeraldfoundationemeraldfoundation

Being shortlisted among this year’s finalists is a meaningful acknowledgment of what Storm Park represents not just for Alpine Park, but for how communities can be built differently.

Engineering Excellence, Hidden in Plain Sight

All new communities require a stormwater management solution. But at Alpine Park, we challenged ourselves and Magna Engineering, to do more than check a box.

Traditional stormwater ponds are designed to manage water quality and discharge within a single pond envelope. They can address the basics, but too often, important goals including ecological health, community amenity, or natural integration, are compromised in the process.

Storm Park in Alpine Park takes a different approach. Rather than relying on a single pond to do everything, the system breaks stormwater management into distinct treatment stages, each designed to address a specific objective: water utility, community placemaking, and natural systems integration. The result is a system that is more useful more often, and far more beautiful.

“Designing a stormwater system that meaningfully serves the community in multiple ways presents a significant challenge,” says Tara Steell, Vice President, Calgary Land, at Dream. “It has been deeply rewarding to see this space develop into a natural, functional asset—one that enhances community safety, supports local ecosystems, and offers a place where people genuinely enjoy spending time.”

Using proprietary design techniques, Magna Engineering created a naturalized space that functions as a landmark for innovation while remaining welcoming to residents of all ages, and to the wildlife that will call it home. Storm Park will provide ecological benefits, support biodiversity, and offer meaningful green space to the Alpine Park community from the moment it opens this June.

At Dream, we believe the best communities are built when purpose-driven design meets genuine ambition. Storm Park is a reflection of that belief.

The winner of the Emerald Award will be announced on June 4th. We’ll be cheering loudly from SW Calgary.

VIEW HOW STORM PARK IS LOOKING!