Bower Ponds offers a range of low cost, seasonal, family friendly rentals. The last rental of the day is at 7 p.m., and services are closed during poor weather. For more information, visit www.bowerponds.ca

Summer

Paddleboats, kayaks and canoes are available for rental in the warm summer months. For your safety, life jackets are included with the boat rental fees. To enhance your water experience, water balls are also available to rent. A water ball is a large inflatable sphere that allows a person inside it to walk across the surface of the water. The giant ball is about two metres in diameter and has a zippered entrance to allow for easy entry and exit.

Winter

Skate aids, helmets, and skate rentals of various sizes are available to get outdoors and enjoy a winter day. Want to bring your own skates but they're a bit dull? Skate sharpening is also available for a nominal fee.

This multi-season park offers almost two kilometres of paved trail around the interconnected ponds. Branching off from the ponds, paved trails lead to Great West Adventure Park - BMX and Lions Campground to the north and Heritage Ranch to the south. Through the Waskasoo Park Trail System, it is possible to connect with the entire city.

For more information on the 110 kilometres of soft and hard surface trails that traverse Red Deer's Waskasoo Park trail system, including up to date  information for the winter months, visit the Trail Map page.

After a flood in 2005, more fish species were naturally deposited into the pond. Some of these species, like Pike, are not friendly to trout and as a result the Rainbow Trout population is not able to thrive at the ponds anymore so Alberta Sustainable Resource Development no longer stocks the pond with Rainbow Trout.

‌Fishing at Bower Ponds is permitted. However all Alberta province wide regulations involving sportfishing must be adhered to. 

An Alberta Sportfishing Licence is required to fish in Alberta (see Licences and Costs and sportfishing definition). If you are under 16 years of age, an Alberta resident aged 65 or older, or holding registered Indian status under the Indian Act, you are not required to have a Sportfishing Licence, but you must follow sportfishing regulations. Sportfishing Licences are not required when a person is sportfishing on a designated Free Fishing Weekend. 

Residents can purchase firewood for $10/bag at the Pavilion concession during business hours or bring their own wood with these considerations in mind:

• Park users should not bring elm wood to their fires in order to minimize the spread of Dutch Elm Disease.
• Park users are also prohibited from cutting down branches or using deadwood found in parks. Using deadwood to make a fire interferes with the natural processes in our parks. Dead and decaying trees protect our soil, water and wildlife habitats.
• Park users are encouraged to purchase firewood from local suppliers such as Kerry Wood Nature Centre and Fort Normandeau, to reduce the risk of introducing tree pests.

View the Bower Ponds page for more information, including hours of operation and contact information.

Bower Ponds is a City dedicated pollinator park. This initiative protects both native and planted habitat specifically for native pollinators such as bees, butterflies, moths, beetles and hummingbirds. In these parks especially, there is no spraying for weeds or insect pests, grass is left a little longer and the edges between grass and forest are more ragged - perfect for pollinators!

Please see the Pollinator Parks webpage for more information.