Nose Hill Park is the closest thing Calgary has to holy ground in the city. Like Mount Fuji for Tokyo, one can be in the busiest parts of the city, and with a quick glance to the hills be filled with instant serenity. Kept untouched through the years (save for the few bare power lines), it’s one of the largest urban parks in Canada, and holds a mystique that continues to this day.

What is it about the park that gives it this je ne sais quoi? Is it the subliminal promise of greener pastures, a sort of gentle reminder of what had brought people to Calgary in the first place?

The feeling of optimistic solitude that one experiences wandering around Nose Hill reminds me of an experience I had while walking around a frozen Princes Island. There was no one there, and while watching the gorgeous sunset I had the feeling of having a moment that was only mine.

On Nose Hill, you may tread a path that many before you have, but the feeling of the moment being yours never diminishes.