Ward Block 1 (Retrieved from the City of Calgary)
Long before King Edward VIII abdicated the British throne to marry his mistress, Wallis Simpson, he had another love, Freda Dudley Ward. Edward, Prince of Wales at the time, had a penchant for married women, Freda being married to a Liberal MP by the name of William Dudley Ward. [click to continue…]
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It’s Historic Calgary Week! Downtown is hosting a huge selection of history themed programming all over the core, so make sure to check our event calendar for a full listing. [click to continue…]
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Canada’s 1998 Calgary Olympians (Retrieved from Collections and Archives Canada)
Looming large in media coverage and daily conversation is the potential for a 2026 Olympic bid by the City of Calgary. Neighbours, friends, and co-workers fall on opposite sides of the debate and argue fiercely about the pros and cons of such a bid. Those who vie for the Olympic Games to make their return to Calgary often cite the success of the 1988 Games. The first Olympic Games to be held over a two-week period, Calgary beat out cities in Italy and Sweden for the right to host. Calgary had bid previously, losing to Innsbruck, Austria in 1964 and Grenoble, France in 1968. [click to continue…]
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Folk Fest is finally here, but it’s not the only festival downtown this week. Prince’s Island Park is going to be a zoo, but Eau Claire and Olympic plaza are going to celebrating just as hard with their own events! Keep reading to find out what’s going on. [click to continue…]
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Postcard of City Hall circa the 1920s (Retrieved from the University of Alberta)
In 1990, a bylaw was signed in order to designate Calgary’s City Hall as a Municipal Historic Resource. It was the first such designation by the city under the Historical Resources Act. The province indicates that: “Alberta municipalities are empowered under the Historical Resources Act to designate historic places through the passage of a local bylaw. The bylaw legally protects historic resources from demolition or alterations that take away from their heritage value.” Calgary’s City Hall certainly does have historic value! [click to continue…]
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Stampede may be over but the summer is still in high gear. This week in downtown Calgary we’ve got the triple threat of theatre, music, and dancing - make your way to the core to catch a glimpse of it all! [click to continue…]
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The 1939 Royal Tour Leaving City Hall (Retrieved from the Glenbow Museum)
Watched around the world, the recent nuptials of the newly-minted Duke and Duchess of Sussex bring back memories of royal-mania in Calgary. The city has played host to several royal visits over the years. Most recently, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in Calgary in July of 2011, taking part in the White Hat Ceremony and kicking off the Calgary Stampede Parade. In 2005, Queen Elizabeth II embarked on a tour of Alberta, visiting the oil sands, and witnessing western hospitality in Calgary and Edmonton. [click to continue…]
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Hull Opera House and York Hotel (Retrieved from the Calgary Public Library)
As cities grow, skylines change. Postcards must be reprinted, tourist brochures re-formatted, and new landmark buildings imprinted into the collective imagination. The title of “most recognizable building in Calgary” has changed over the years. At one time, the Calgary Tower was the pinnacle of the city’s skyline, though now if you ask, the crescent-shaped Bow Tower is likely the first building that comes to mind. [click to continue…]
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It’s Calgarys busiest week, and there is certainly no shortage of entertainment. From line dancing in Olympic Plaza to Blues on the Avenue, downtown is going to keep you moving all week long. [click to continue…]
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