I recently read a fascinating piece of research by academics at Glasgow Caledonian University which showed the health benefits of living close to the Forth and Clyde Canal.
The researchers found that living near a canal can reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases and can lower the risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease, stroke or hypertension.
The study demonstrated that living besides what is referred to as “blue infrastructure”, or what to you and me means close to the river, canal, lochs and ponds, was having a real positive impact on overall health and well-being.
With the Claypits having opened to the public last summer, the people in the North of the city and visitors from further afield have taken this amazing inner-city nature reserve to their hearts.
Weekly birdwatching sessions are just one of the activities attracting many people from other parts of the city to enjoy this wonderful facility, incredibly, less than a mile from the heart of the city centre of Glasgow.
The collaboration between Glasgow City Council, Scottish Canals, transport body Sustrans and local community groups has been the driving force behind this transformative project.
Further North, and tucked away in the corner of Canal Ward, sits Lambhill Stables - another great amenity on our doorsteps.
Aurelius, a giant Roman soldier head, looks out over Possil Marsh and towards the Antonine Wall, the northernmost point of the Roman Empire.
The increase in visitors to the Stables has been remarkable, with many taking an interest in the area’s long, rich and varied past.
The Stables themselves date from around 1815 and were a staging post in the days when horses pulled boats and barges along the Forth and Clyde Canal.
Acquired by the community in 2007, it has been transformed into a vibrant and thriving local hub, which is open to everyone.
There’s a rich variety of activities and groups on offer, covering local history and heritage, art workshops, a bike hub, youth programmes, community gardens and more.
There is also a cafe offering locally-grown produce, afternoon teas and Sunday roasts at the weekends.
Lambhill Stables were successful in their bid to Scottish Canals to be part of the Art Project for another exciting project underway in North Glasgow, the Stockingfield Junction Bridge Project. The Stockingfield Junction Bridge links previously disconnected communities living beside the Forth and Clyde Canal.
A one-of-a-kind project in Scotland, it will improve the health and wellbeing of citizens through encouraging more walking, wheeling and cycling and providing access to newly-created blue and green spaces.
Many community groups and schools across Canal Ward are part of this wonderful project.
The artwork programmes, which began last October, involved residents from Lambhill, Cadder and Maryhill using pictures, drawings, clay and discussions to create a design for a 14m-long wall at the site of the bridge’s viewing platform.
Their tiled creations will be a permanent feature and are part of a bigger art project involving groups and organisations from across the Canal and Maryhill Wards. It’s great to see ideas like this deliver and give local people a sense of involvement and ownership of the transformation of their neighbourhoods.
I’m really looking forward to a site visit soon and hoping the bridge will be completely finished and open to the public in Autumn 2022.
If you haven’t yet seen the images of how it will look I urge you to get online and see for yourselves.
The continuing regeneration of the Forth and Clyde Canal is wonderful piece of planning that is bringing really positive impacts for the health and lives of all those who live in and around Canal Ward.
The last five years of being a councillor representing Canal Ward has been a privilege and I’m extremely proud of the work and commitment my colleagues and the achievements of our very first SNP administration in Glasgow.
On May 5, our communities across the city will have the chance to vote SNP for local government and we will continue our journey for improving the lives and the areas we represent across Glasgow.
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