Trip Date: May 2017
What was it like to stand in the middle of a wide open prairie and imagine a city?
~Inscription on Mountie statue outside Fort Calgary.
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| Fort Calgary Welcomes You! |
The confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers is a culturally
significant place that lies at the heart of traditional Blackfoot territory.
Known as Moh'Kinsstis to the Blackfoot people the confluence has special
meaning for the bands of the Blackfoot Confederacy. According to legend the
confluence is the place where Napi created people, tracing history to the the
roots of humanity itself. Considering First Nation people have inhabited
the Bow River watershed for more than 10,000 years there might be an air of truth
to that legend. The joining of the water has held its significance as a place
of gathering for thousands of years.
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| Meet Buffy Bison. This statue greets visitors to Fort Calgary and also acts as a reminder of what the prairies were like prior to settlement. |
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| An archived photo of the Calgary Barracks. Photo Credit: Glenbow Archives |
The confluence was also chosen as the site of Fort
Calgary;
just one in a series of forts that were erected by the North West Mounted
Police (NWMP) in an attempt to bring law and order to the unruly west,
strengthen Canadian sovereignty, and to pave the way for treaties that were
needed for settlement. In 1874 a large party consisting of officers and
enlisted men completed their arduous journey from Fort Dufferin, Manitoba to Fort Whoop-Up, a notoriously raucous place
with a reputation for whiskey trading. They found the fort mostly abandoned, so
they moved in and later established Fort
Macleod further
to the west. In 1875 they broke ground on Fort Calgary, known at the time
as the Bow Fort, without the slightest idea they were laying the foundation
for a major modern-day city. The fort was built in as little as six weeks
under the command of Inspector Ephrem Brisebois, who attempted to rename it
after himself upon its completion. Due to the fact Brisebois had no authority
to rename the fort Commissioner James Macleod recommended the name 'Calgary'
after Calgary Bay on the Isle of Mull in Scotland, the commissioner's ancestral
home. The name stuck and the emergence of Calgary was officially underway.
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| This statue of Commissioner James Macleod is prominently featured on the grounds of Fort Calgary |
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| The reconstructed Calgary Barracks were designed to look as they did in 1888 |
The late 1800's was a time of unrest and transformation.
European influence was wreaking havoc on the local First Nation population, the
bison were being hunted at an alarming rate, and the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was looming on the horizon. The Canadian
Government needed to extinguish First Nation title to the
land before settlement could occur and this was done through the use of
treaties. While using Fort Calgary as his home-base Macleod was a lead
negotiator for Treaty 7. He was a trusted adviser to the local First Nation
community and was even bestowed the name "Bull's Head" by Chief
Crowfoot. Treaty 7, the last of the Numbered Treaties between the federal
government and the Plains First Nations, was signed on September 22, 1877 at Blackfoot
Crossing.
The Treaty encompasses virtually all of southern Alberta and is still in effect
today.
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| There's a timeline of events outside the interpretive centre |
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| A reconstruction of what the inside of the fort would have looked like |
The original fort only lasted until 1882 when it was torn down
and replaced with more substantial structures in preparation for the CPR's
arrival in 1883. As the whiskey trade dried up Fort Calgary finalized
its transition from simple whiskey fort to the Calgary Barracks and became
the focal point of a burgeoning community. In addition to being the centre of
police administration the barracks also contained a rudimentary hospital and
was used for a variety of social functions. The post was also the main hub for
settlers, ranchers, and entrepreneurs arriving in Canada's rapidly-growing
west.
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| Fort Calgary was awarded National Historic Site status in 1925 with this stone marker |
In 1914 the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway purchased Fort
Calgary. Eventually they turned around and sold it to the Canadian National
Railway, effectively concealing Calgary's roots for the next 60 years beneath a
railway yard. Due to the concerted efforts of Alderman Jon Ayer the site
of Calgary's origin was thrust back into the public consciousness when The City of Calgary purchased the site in 1974 with the intent of preserving it for
its historical significance.
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| The illuminated outline of the original Fort Calgary was created by Jill Anholt and is called Markings. Photo Credit: Yellowhouse Aerial |
Today the confluence is still a place of great significance as
it's where the past meets the present. Although not much exists anymore from
Fort Calgary or the Calgary Barracks pieces of the fort's original foundation
were found during an archaeological investigation and are still in the ground
til this day. The interpretive centre and museum are located inside the
reconstructed 1888 barracks and feature multiple interactive exhibits from
Calgary's first 100 years. Nearby you can visit the Deane
House, the
city's only remaining NWMP building and now a fine dining restaurant, and the
Hunt House, the oldest building in Calgary still in its original
location. The Hunt House was built in 1876 as part of the Hudson’s Bay Trading
Post. Outside the interpretive centre is an art exhibit called Markings that was created by Jill
Anholt and outlines the fort's original footprint.
Strolling through the museum or exploring the 40-acre grounds allows visitors
to discover the people and events that helped shape Calgary's legacy. Fort
Calgary is not only a place where rivers and cultures meet, but is a living
testament to the ongoing relationship between people and the land.
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| The NWMP Veterans' Association placed this historic marker on the site of the original Fort Calgary back in 1917 |
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| These modern pillars reside at the intersection of 6th Street SE and 9th Avenue SE |
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Katie Novak and
Erica Olstead, the past and present Education Coordinators at Fort Calgary, for
their willingness to help with this story. Without your knowledge and expertise
this story just wouldn't have been the same. For additional information about
Fort Calgary please visit their website or connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also of note the original Treaty 7 document will be on display at Fort Calgary this summer. The 140-year-old
document is on loan from the National Archives and will be on display from
mid-June through October of this year.
Please note this story also appears on the Calgary Guardian website under the title, From Police Outpost to Modern City.
