Rocky View County (RVC) residents who enjoy the benefits of meditation will soon be able to experience the calm of a Buddhist retreat without having to venture too far from home, with the Middle Path Buddhist Temple of Calgary.
RVC council unanimously approved a redesignation May 24 that will accommodate the retreat on land northwest of Calgary in the Bearspaw area. Located at the northwest junction of Township Road 261A and Range Road 23, the land will be redesignated from Farmstead District to Public Services District.
The intent of the development is to create a quiet, serene and aesthetically pleasing environment to observe and practice Buddhist traditions, said RVC Planner Jessica Anderson. The applicant’s proposed operational plan indicates five or six individuals will reside permanently at the site, with retreats held semi-monthly with less than 50 individuals. She added a weekly Sunday service will also be held, with an approximate attendance of 20 people.
“We are a group of Buddhists, we are monks and we are peace-loving people who want to teach about meditation and compassion,” said Ru-Li, one of the monks who was present to speak at the public hearing. “We would like to have a sustainable lifestyle – energy efficient, with greenhouses so we can grow our own vegetables and fruit. We want to make this place as natural as possible, so it’s like a garden.”
According to Anderson, the applicant proposes to develop the site over 25 years with worship/ritual spaces, an information centre, accommodations and extensive landscaping. A development permit will be required to approve the use, design and servicing for the religious assembly use.
Adjacent landowners spoke in support of the application at the public hearing, saying the facility would enhance multiculturalism in RVC and would provide a unique opportunity for residents to enjoy a quiet space to practice meditation – not only for religious purposes, but to keep the body and mind healthy.
However, Bearspaw resident Ken Waddell said the religious assembly land-use wasn’t specific enough to fully explain the intent of the development, and he was concerned with how large a temple might be constructed on the lot.
“We are trying to have a sustainable lifestyle – if we have a huge building, we will consume more energy, and that’s not very green,” Ru-Li said. “We are trying to leave as small a footprint on the earth as possible.”
Waddell’s additional concern, that the circulation area was not wide enough to include the majority of the residents within the Bearspaw community, was supported by Councillors Jerry Arshinoff and Eric Lowther. Lowther said since a public service designation allows 16 potential land uses, “the dynamics change.”
“Once we give this designation, it does not come back to council if this use is changed in the future,” he said. “For public service, I think broader distribution in the community is important. In Bearspaw, it’s not rural. It’s ‘rurban.’ There are a lot of people who live there, and they all want a say in their community.”
