Fort Calgary was built in 1875 by the North West Mounted Police, serving many purposes over the years. Yet, most Calgarians have come to know it as a museum which has featured the history of the police service since 1978.
But now untold history is being shared. A new “true crime” walking tour of the grounds will expose some of Calgary’s early crimes and their subsequent punishments.
“We talk about the history of the Mounted Police but in terms of the actual history and crime, there’s little that we are doing with that,” says program manager, Allison Graham.
Fort Calgary is working on creating an environment including more than just the history of the Canadian Mounties, one that looks at the their long and complicated past of colonialism as well.
This particular event will mostly focus on four executions that happened during Fort Calgary’s early years, uncovering a history many Calgarians do not know a lot about.
“I hope that it will get people to see this kind of other side of Calgary’s early history. One that we maybe don’t always like to think about, or one that we might find troubling or fascinating,” says Graham.
The entrance fee for the True Crime Walking Tours event is $15. The afternoon tours take place on Oct. 15, 22 and 29 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The twilight tours take place on Oct. 20 and 27 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Because of the mature content, this event is recommended for ages 16 and up.