Historical site wants to continue telling Calgary’s story
During Heritage Day festivities on Aug.4, Fort Calgary’s President and CEO Sarah-Jane Grutzner announced that the Calgary historical site would go through some redevelopment over the next couple of years.
“It will be an incredible asset to East Village and the whole city to have the birthplace of the city protected and have that land telling that story of Calgary,” says Grutzner.
“It’s taken us long time to get to this point but were on our way and in the next few years there’s a lot more exciting projects going to happen.”
According to a online brochure found on the Fort Calgary website, the master plan for the future of the historical site includes:
• Redevelopment of the 1875 fort
• Revitalizing and expanding the Fort Calgary Interpretive Centre
The newly minted Fort Calgary Sentinels commemorate the founders and key people who were instrumental in shaping Fort Calgary’s colorful and intriguing history.
Photo by Paulina Liwski
• The creation of a community park
• Implementing conservation efforts for Hunt House
• The restoration of Deane House
• Completing the Elbow River Traverse pedestrian bridge
Unveiling the Sentinels
As well, Fort Calgary unveiled its recent completed redevelopment project known as The Sentinels, which are five red glass towers that stand tall on the corner 9th Avenue and 6th Street S.E.
The pillars commemorate four key figures that have helped to shape Fort Calgary’s history over the last 131 years. These key figures are:
• Chief Crowfoot: Known as the Chief of the Siksika Nation of the Blackfoot Nation, whose tribe owned the land that Fort Calgary sits on.
• Colonel Macleod: Known as the second Commissioner of the North West Mounted Police and he is also the one who picked the name Calgary. This resulted in how the City of Calgary got its name.
• Captain Deane: Known as the last serving superintendent of Fort Calgary when it was decommissioned.
• Alderman John Ayer: It was through the efforts of this public servant in 1974 that the City of Calgary purchased Fort Calgary and returned it to the public sphere.