Ellen Rossi is one of many kind-hearted volunteers that are giving back to Calgary in a big way. She is a member of a group called the TransAlta Retirees Association (TARA), which is open to any former TransAlta employee who has attained official retired status or any former TransAlta employee who left the company before retirement. This includes spouses or surviving spouses. Their group helps organize free two hour guided walking tours that take place in downtown Calgary every Thursday morning at 10:00AM from May until September.
How and when did you get involved with this project?
My husband worked for TransAlta. Ten years ago a number of retirees met to implement ways they could give back to the community and this tour is one of such 15 projects. I jumped aboard then.
What can one expect to experience on one of your Historical Walking Tours?
One hears about Calgary’s history, as they walk by the best preserved historical buildings this side of Montreal.
Are there any ghosts that haunt our downtown?
We do not touch on this in our tour, as there is a Ghost Tour done by another group.
The group Ellen is referring to is Calgary Ghost Tours
What is your favorite stop on the tour?
My favourite stop is the Bank of Nova Scotia with so many western motifs around the door and windows.
Word on the street is that TARA is now endeavoring to start another tour featuring Modern Calgary that will also incorporate downtown public art. Are the rumors true? And if so, what might this entail?
Yes, this is true. Brochures for this new tour are in the sandwich board at the Glenbow Museum right beside the historical ones, and must also be pre-booked. The Modern Calgary Walking Tour runs from May-October and is designed for anyone that wishes to learn more about our City. It includes Stephen Avenue Mall, Olympic Plaza, Prince’s Island Park and the Bow River, Chinatown and the Chinese Cultural Centre, the Bow Building, Devonian Gardens, the Plus 15 System, and much more.
If you’re interested in booking either one of these tours you can do so by calling (403) 284-3731. A brochure for the Historical Walking Tour can be viewed here.
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