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Translated tours available at Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park

A new program at Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is providing non-English speaking visitors with an opportunity to visit the park and learn its history.
Translated tours
Thanks to a new program, non-English speaking visitors to Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park can take a golf cart tour with a translator.

A new program at Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is providing non-English speaking visitors with an opportunity to visit the park and learn its history. Golf cart tours in five languages – French, Spanish, Arabic, Punjabi and Tagalog – will run throughout the summer. “The reason why I decided to take on this initiative is because the history of Glenbow Ranch is fascinating, and it goes well beyond our ranching history,” said Executive Director Sarah Parker. “When you look out at the land, it just looks like beautiful, rolling hills, but in actuality, there’s a fascinating history here.” Since past tours have all been offered in English, Parker said visitors who didn’t speak or read the language were, unfortunately, unable to learn about the park’s history. “For instance, if you look out at the site where the Glenbow town was, you would never in a million years know there was a town there,” she said. “Doing the translated tours and creating our translated brochures allows for this history to be more accessible to more people who visit the park.” The program is funded through grants from the Calgary Foundation and Bearspaw Historical Society, Parker said, while volunteers with Calgary Catholic Immigrant Services translated the brochure into the five languages. Parker said she is hoping the program will continue and expand next year. Two tours in each language are running on specific dates, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The Tagalog tours take place July 7, French tours are July 21 and Arabic tours are Aug. 18. Parker said she hoped participants would consider having a group lunch – either by bringing in their own or doing a potluck – in between the morning and afternoon tours. “They’d all have a chance to meet each other (and talk about) where they’re from, whether it’s their first time at the park, and have that community-building aspect, as well, to the day,” she said. Palwinder Singh, who will be leading the Punjabi tours Aug. 11, said he has visited the park before and is excited to introduce it to others in his community. “Some of the time people think it’s just a park, just a walk, and they don’t know the historical background behind it,” he said. “Once I knew the idea behind it (I thought it would be good), for the young generation especially, to learn about the history and how the park came into existence.” Pre-registration for the tours is required. The translated tours are being provided free of charge, thanks to the grant funding the park received. The first tours, in Spanish, took place June 23. More information can be found on the park’s website at grpf.ca

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