Fort Calgary Is History And A Whole Lot More.

The history of Fort Calgary, a North West Mounted Police outpost built in 1875 at the forks of the Bow and Elbow Rivers, involves such colorful characters as the Canadian Mounties, whiskey runners, and railway industrialists.

Today's Fort Calgary is a forty-acre site in the Inglewood community of Calgary that is home to a reconstructed fort, an interpretive exhibit center on Ninth Avenue Southeast, a replica of an 1888 barracks, and a riverside park.

The ravages of time, weather, fire, and industrial expansion have left little of the original fort intact. Deane House, built in 1906 for Captain Richard Deane, then Superintendent of Fort Calgary, is now a historic site and restaurant, and it stands on the corner of Ninth Avenue and Eighth Street Southeast, a minute’s walk across the river from the Fort Calgary Interpretive Centre.

These structures symbolize the present-day Calgarians’ goal of recognizing, reclaiming, and rebuilding the history of Fort Calgary.

For more than a dozen years, volunteers have been painstakingly rebuilding the fort on its original location, using the same tools and techniques available to the fort’s founders.

Except for very few holidays, the fort and restaurant are open year-round and offer visitors an intimate look at the harsh life of the Mounties who lived in the fort and an interactive, hands-on lesson in the outpost’s history.

Part of that history is still being created, and visitors can observe the volunteers hard at work rebuilding the fort.

Everyday objects from the lives of the fort residents are on display, and guides invite guests to try on the uniforms of the North West Mounted Police as they relate stories from the fort’s past.

There’s a virtual streetcar ride through old Calgary, a chance to purchase unique gifts and souvenirs at the General Store, and even a peek at prison life from the inside of a jail cell.

The tour includes a stroll through a 1930’s-era drugstore, newspaper office, auto repair shop, and radio station, and a visit to the 1930’s Palace Theater to watch an award-winning historical video.

Outdoor activities include a chance to snap some photos and a walk along the park’s pathways to observe a historic windmill, a bronze buffalo, and an orientation exhibit.

Hungry tourists can conclude their visit with a lunchtime snack at the historic 1906 Deane House.

It has survived two moves from its original location, including an arduous one across the river, and it now serves as both a public restaurant and a catering facility for private functions.

Among the available options are private and public murder mystery dinners, a comical interactive show presented by Pegasus Performances throughout the evening meal.

The fort’s buildings are also available for private functions such as birthdays, weddings, meetings, or Christmas parties.

For children of various grade levels, the fort offers classes that support the school curriculum for subjects like Social Studies, Language Arts, or Science.

These classes are extremely popular with students, as they encourage hands-on exploration and interaction.

There are programs for Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, and other children’s groups, and some of them offer members the chance to earn qualifying merit badges on-site.

The fort also sponsors special events throughout the year, such as Mothers’ Day Brunch or Artisan’s Fair.

The proceeds from these events represent the bulk of the fort’s operating funds, so anyone who is interested in local history can spend an interesting day at the site and support its work at the same time.

For more information, visit Fort Calgary or call (403) 290-1875.

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