Quick wins and short-term improvements worth up to $1 million are being proposed for the popular Harvie Passage on the Bow River.

The recommendation, along with the final report and a complete Facility Enhancement Plan from the Harvie Passage Task Force, comes to Wednesday’s Community Development Committee meeting.

Regular user groups, along with the area city councillor, said Harvie Passage has become increasingly popular in recent years. The heightened traffic in the area has led to the need for improvements in different areas.

The general area encompasses the Harvie Passage lookout, the whitewater park and a gravel area with a boat launch, and it is adjacent to the Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery and ponds, along with the Pearce Estate Park.

After years of work, the Harvie Passage Task Force has highlighted the need for improvements – among them upgrades to the washrooms, pathways, crossings and parking lots.

Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra said the increased popularity of the area has led to the need for further upgrades.

“Spacing magazine declared that Harvie Passage was one of the top 100 public spaces in Canada (in 2013) and it was spectacularly successful,” Carra said.

“All of a sudden, river-living Calgarians had almost a beach-like environment, a series of pools that they could hang out around.”