CNHS- Fort Calgary - Calgary, Alberta
Posted by: 
wildwoodke
N 51° 02.648 W 114° 02.788
11U E 707032 N 5658883
Fort Calgary, located in southeast Calgary at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers, is a CNHS site that was created in 1975 when the land was reclaimed from the railroad and archaeological excavations uncovered significant remains of the fort.
Waymark Code: WM28VB
Location: Alberta, Canada
Date Posted: 09/23/2007
Views: 63
In 1875, amid a sea of scarlet jackets and thundering hooves, "F" Troop of the North West Mounted Police crossed the Bow River to build Fort Calgary.
Under the command of Inspector Ephrem Brisebois, they were instructed to suppress whiskey traffic along the Bow River. They chose a location at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers to build a fort. To build the fort the men dug trenches three feet deep and set upright 12 foot pine logs side by side. The pole roofs were covered with earth and the log walls mudded with clay.
The construction of Fort Calgary was completed in about six weeks. Living conditions were hard in the new buildings. Visiting NWMP surgeon R.B. Nevitt reported "...we found ... the water just pouring into the rooms and all the mudding falling out of the chinks... in fact the condition of things was quite deplorable."
In 1882, the fort palisade was torn down and the new substantial buildings of Calgary Barracks were constructed. A fire destroyed one of the men's barracks a few years later and it was replaced by an impressive two-storey building that could house 100 men.
The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway bought the land in 1914 and demolished all the fort buildings except Superintendent Deane’s house.
In 1975, after years of railway and light industrial use, the citizens of Calgary reclaimed the land in celebration of Calgary's Centennial. Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of the original fort and many other buildings during excavations of the site. Due to the significance of the archaeological remains, the location was designated a National and Provincial Historic Site.
Since 1994, volunteers have rebuilt the 1875 Fort using period tools and techniques on the very location where the original North West Mounted Police post once stood.
A replica of the two storey 1888 Men’s Barracks was completed in 2000 and incorporates Mounted Police exhibits from 1888 to 1914, historically decorated private function spaces, Learning Centre and a Mess Kitchen serving light lunches.
The site is open year round and is located at 750 - 9th Avenue S.E. in Calgary.
Services: self-guided and group interpretive tours available, gift shop, school programs, meeting and banquet facilities, weddings, murder mysteries, food services.
Check out their website at www.fortcalgary.com
Classification: National Historic Site
Province or Territory: Alberta
Location - City name/Town name: Calgary
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: [Web Link]
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