City Development – bridges, buildings, amusement parks
Calgary had been a fort for the Northwest Mounted Police in 1875, became a town in 1884 and a city in 1894. When my cohort came along it had been a city for 55 years.
1882 – Metis couple Lous and Angelina Roselee own land on SE hill and in 1894 Scotsman John McLellan has rock quarry there. IT later becomes Scotsman’s Hill park area overlooking Stampede Grounds
1885 – Pioner Thomas Edworthy farms near Bow River and Bowness. It was at the confluence of two rivers, the Bow and the Elbow, and by the time we were born there were already several bridges across them
1902 – a bridge over the Bow River washed out in a flood
1904 – a nearby village, Bowness has a large park. When we were growing up we went there and rode the mini train, rode on the carrousel, went in canoes on the lake and picnicked. During our childhood we saw other changes too.
1910 – Shouldice Bridge (Hextall Bridge) on Bowness Road was built. It was later used for streetcars but in 1950 it was turned over to car traffic)
1911 – MacDonald bridge on 12 avenue across the Elbow River
1911 – Langevin Bridge from downtown to Sunnyside, replacing a wooden bridge from earlier time
1912 – Cushing Bridge – 17 avenue SE and Blackfoot Trail
1916 – Centre Street Bridge was rebuilt after having collapsed during a flood in 1915
1921 – Louise Bridge on 10 street NW
1924- Park at 40 avenue and 1 a st SW, STAnley Park becomes more landscaped in 1934
1929 – the flood on the Bow and Elbow Rivers alerted the city to the need for a dam
1932 – Glenmore Dam was built
1940- Crescent Park in the northwest at 12 avenue and 2 street had lawn bowling, tennis courts and walking paths
1948 – McCall field had a busy air terminal
1949 – the zoo now had 77 animals and 19 life sized dinosaur models including a sixty foot tall stegosaurus
1950 – ice jam on Bow River floods some areas near St. George’s Island
1950 – Senator Harry Hays hosts hundreds of people at a Stampede breakfast
1950 – Stampede Corral is built, with a capacity for 8200 people
1950 – The train tracks were taken off the Langevin Bridge and it was a turned over to car traffic only (later named Reconciliation Bridge)
1950s- On Prince’s Island in the Bow River, a park is developed and in 1966 a pedestrian bridge is developed linking it to Eau Claire
1951 – The Barron building was built downtown
1952 – Stampede midway has its first car raffle
1953 – Bearspaw Dam is constructed
1954 – bridge is built on 14 street, “Mewata Bridge” linking Sunalta and Kensington
1954 – Jubilee Auditorium is built
1955 – Glenmore Park is under construction
1955 – Rideau Towers are built
1956 – Alex Munro designs Rock Gardens at Riley Park
1958 – 20 storey skyscraper is built downtown – Elveden House
1958 – Stampede midway offers tickets for a $35,000 dream home
1959 – Stampede attracts 591,715 people
When we were born Calgary already had some green area being preserved.
As we grew up more parks were created
1960s- a part of Stanley Park is dedicated to Russian princess Obolensky who lived in the city after the Russian revolution. She and her husband the count were here during the war and she eventually set up a clothing store, La Boutique.
1961 – Happy Valley opens west of town, a huge amusement park
1962 – the city acquires some of the land of Thomas Edworthy by the river at Bowness and creates Edworthy Park
1963 – Glenmore Causeway is built
1963 – Heritage Park opens. It represents the region’s history from 1860 to 1950 and has actual buildings from other town relocated to create walkable streets just like in those days. There are 24 historic buildings and even a vintage train on a 4300 foot track.
1964 – the Baines Bridge is built on the north side of St. George’s Island and named after zoo curator Tom Baines
1965 – St. Patrick’s Island has a mobile home park.
1965- Confederation Park is built with a stream running through
1966 – Glenbow Museum opens (we are 17) It houses collections from Eric Harvie
1966 – Palliser Square is built downtown
1967 – for Canada’s centennial the city also builds a bridge to Fort Calgary, creates Centennary Park with a bird area, deer shell, canoe dock, and concrete band pad, on 17 acres of grass and trees
1967 – the 200,000 square foot Convention Center is built
1967 – the Planetarium is built
1967 – The S. S. Moyie docks at Heritage Park. It can host 172 passengers
1968 – The Husky Tower is built
Boomers In Cowtown 