The Canadian city that runs 5 meters above the ground

He canadian winterYou know, it’s hard. So much so that it is difficult to walk calmly through the streets looking at shop windows or catching flies. For this reason, cities have to resort to different methods to continue functioning as if nothing happened, while the thermometers show 20 or 30 degrees below zero and the snow covers everything.

Toronto, for example, built a true “underground city”, connected to the metro, to continue living at the same pace as always even if the snow covers the streets. In that network of tunnels there is everything: bars, restaurants, hairdressers, banks, shops of all kinds, post office, doctor’s offices; whatever you are looking for, without having to go to the surface.

The same goes for Montreal, which created the RÉSO system, a tunnel network of about 30 kilometers connecting various buildings, residential complexes, shopping malls, universities, luxury residences and hotels, and housing a wide range of restaurants and shops. It is estimated that underground Montreal would contain about 12% of the city’s downtown businesses.

In Calgarythe capital of the province of Albertain western Canada (2,640 km west of Toronto) came up with a similar but different idea: instead of going down the stairs, to access the system that connects the city you have to go up: in winter in Calgary you circulate for the red Plus 15 Skywayand bridge and walkway system that connect different buildings and that could be described as “closed paths”, ideal for going from one place to another without being cold or hot or getting wet if it rains or snows.

La red Plus 15 Skyway It now totals almost 18 km of walkways and bridges in which, as in the Toronto and Montreal tunnels, also you can find everything: gastronomic establishments, cafes, hairdressers, kiosks, ATMs, shops, supermarkets and more, while walking from one side of the city to the other protected from the inclemencies of winter.

And with the extra advantage that this system also provides very good views of towers, buildings, streets, pedestrians and avenues, always from 5 meters high, or almost: the name Plus 15 refers to the fact that the bridges are 15 feet high (it is 4.57 meters, although the average is actually just over 5).

Practically everyone uses the Plus 15 here, which over time has been expanded and improved – it continues to do so – to become a large network of closed and glazed pedestrian bridges, allowing you to walk while seeing the city and enjoying the natural light, in air-conditioned environmentsand full of resting cornerssuch as benches and tables in interior patios, with plants and decoration.

This fact is not minor, because making the most of sunlight is one of the objectives of the network. It happens that although in winter the minimum temperatures drop to 15 or 20 below zero, the sun is (almost) always there: Calgary is one of the sunniest cities in Canadawith an average of 2,405 sunny hours per year (equivalent to just over 100 days).

The first Plus 15 was built in 1969and since then the network has grown to include 86 bridges that travel, as said, almost 18 kilometers, which earned him the title of being the largest pedestrian walkway system in the worldo.

For much of the year it is here, more than in parks and sidewalks, where the pulse of Calgary is experienced: office workers, people out shopping, retirees chatting; everyone crosses paths and finds themselves here.

At different points along the route there are network planswith its different sections painted in different colors, which indicate the opening and closing times, because the system not open 24 hours: most do it around 6 in the morning and close at 9:00 p.m., and on weekends, at 5:30 p.m.

For one of those Plus 15 you can reach the Bow Towerone of the tallest and most modern buildings in the city, famous for having a crescent-shaped side and for having been designed by the famous architect Norman Foster.

Now you know: if one day you arrive in Calgary, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and see few people walking the streets even if it is a beautiful sunny day, don’t be surprised and look for access to the Plus 15 Skyway network; everyone will be there.