

Origami was developing greatly over centuries and when Edo period began with the sixteen hundreds, it has already become a leisure activity, although it kept the ceremonial purpose it originally had. Therefore, origami was intended to be used during religious ceremonies only at first. Handmade and rare, paper was a luxurious commodity, available only to the richest. Having been invented in China at the very beginning of the second century AD, paper entered Japan four centuries later, brought to the country by monks. The name of origami is derived from Japanese terms oru, which means “to fold”, and kami, meaning “paper”. Therefore, origami flowers bring us back to the bountiful history spreading across the Japanese culture, social system and all islands. But what is it that can make origami so magical, so engaging and so deeply touching? Origami is the art of paper folding similar to napkin folding from Japan.

Previously, only views of the reservoir to the reservoir could be had while crossing the dam.Everybody knows about origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. With the utility lines being removed, there will now be views of both the reservoir and the river below the dam. The new path will feature separated lanes for cyclists and pedestrians.

Some landscaping and other features need to occur before Calgarians can use the path that will be installed across the reservoir," said Frigo. "We do have some additional work to do yet in terms of having safety railings and getting the site ready. No date has been set but it is expected to reopen this summer. Pedestrians and cyclists are likely looking forward to the return of the pathway which was closed in 2017 across the top of the structure. They can also withstand ice better than the old gates, which means more water can be stored year round. While the new gates are now available for use as needed, work is still being completed on the rehabilitation project.īesides increasing flood control capacity, Frigo said the gates allow for greater water storage which will help Calgary get through drought years. The dam continued its normal operations while the work was done. The bridge deck is expected to be reopened to the public in summer 2020. New piers were added, the front of the dam was extended slightly to accommodate the new gates and the bridge deck was replaced. Then, Frigo said structural work was done on the dam. Starting back in 2017, work was undertaken to remove water and gas utility lines that previously ran across the top of the dam.Ī tunnel was bored downstream of the dam and the utilities were relocated there. He said installing the gates has been a complicated feat of engineering. "With the 2.5 metres of incremental height they provide, they essentially raise the rim of the bathtub, allowing us more storage to be able to attenuate or slow down high flow of floods that would come in on the Elbow River." Complicated job done in stages "They're not unlike a garage door," said Frigo. With electric-powered motorized hoists, the gates can be raised or lowered in minutes. Three gates were installed in each of the seven portals across the dam structure.Įach gate is 2.5 metres high, six metres wide and weighs four tonnes. The new steel gates, which were manufactured in China, replace the previous system of wooden stop logs.

Why 3 successive Alberta governments chose the Springbank reservoir to protect Calgary from another major flood - and why it's still years from being builtĪ city official said the 21 new gates installed on the dam will now provide protection against a one-in-30-year flood event.However, to prevent damage from a flood like 2013, the gates would have to work in concert with a new off-stream diversion project that the province is planning to build on the Elbow River in Springbank. The leader of watershed analysis for the city's water resources department, Frank Frigo, said this new level of protection would guard against a flood that was seen in 2005 which damaged riverside properties. Many Calgarians are haunted by the 2013 flood which caused billions of dollars in damages in the city.īut the Elbow has seen several smaller-scale flood events since the turn of the century.Ī city official said the 21 new gates installed on the dam will now provide protection against a one-in-30-year flood event. They effectively double the capacity of the reservoir behind the dam to store water. After years of construction, new gates on the Glenmore Dam are now ready to use.
