Chinook Country Historical Society
223 12 Ave SW # 311 T2R 0G9 Calgary, AB, Canada

Private William Cary Brown, D.C.M. Calgary Highlanders Private William Cary Brown was one of only a handful of Calgary Highlanders to be awarded the Distin...guished Conduct Medal - second only to the Victoria Cross - during the Second World War. It was also an extremely rare award for a private soldier. On 23 October 1944, while acting as a company runner, he found a platoon's commander and all of the non-commissioned officers out of action and directed the fire of the platoon's light machine guns onto the enemy. Later, with the company commander and a second platoon commander wounded, he carried ammunition forward and personally directed friendly tank support under heavy fire. A photograph, found in his company commander's personal post-war photo album, has a notation written on the back in the company commander's hand: "Brownie, DCM: A Man's Man... used to be my runner and went through everything they could throw at him. A Real Pal." Private Brown was accidentally killed in December 1944 - hit by a vehicle while he was riding a motorcycle - at the age of 29 and is buried in grave V.C.13 of the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in the Netherlands. He was the son of Clifford and Estelle Brown, and husband of Novella Pearl Brown, of Oakland, California, United States of America. The Distinguished Conduct Medal. Second only to the Victoria Cross in World War II, was awarded to Private Brown for his gallant and heroic actions while acting as a company runner on the field of battle on October 23, 1944. Research and historical information provided by the Calgary Highlanders Regimental Museum and Archival Collection. Compiled by Allan Ross. See more

Built in 1913, the Stanley Jones School was built in a Classical Revival style, with a focus on Ionic pilasters an...d pediment imposingly welcoming students in. Originally named Bridgeland School, it was renamed in 1916 to memorialize the first Calgarian to volunteer for duty in the Great War, Stanley Jones. He was also the first Canadian officer to be killed in action in World War I. Stanley ones is one of Calgary’s most impressive Classical Revival examples. Made of finely-cut sandstone, a series of five pediments stretch across the front of the building, along with carved festoons and other Classical elements. Like all Calgary schools, it closed in 1918 to handle the Spanish Flu epidemic. Stanley Jones School was even temporarily converted into a hospital and a morgue to handle the influenza outbreak which claimed 384 lives in Calgary, whose population was around 60,000. Today’s equivalent compared to population would have been around 8,000 deaths. Once the pandemic ended, the school returned to its originally purpose, and aside from slight fire damage in 1928, remained in good enough condition to serve its purpose to this day. Also like many of the Sandstone Schools, Stanley Jones School is in good condition and serves its initial purpose to this day. The main Stanley Jones school offers K-6 classes, and even features the Alice Jamieson Girls’ Academy, which is a grades 4-9 All Girls alternative program. Learn more about Stanley Jones School here: https://www.calgary.ca//discover-historic-calgary-resource

On behalf of Chinook Country Historical Society, deepest sympathy to Zelda and Nico on the passing of Brian. The Society is truly grateful for his role in shining a light on and sharing stories about our history. He will be missed. https://albertapolitics.ca//brian-brennan-77-elegant-word/

& : , Looking south from 7 Avenue and 1 Street SW in 1911 show a much different streetscape, though there are some ...familiar buildings. Still standing today from this picture are the Grain Exchange Building at 9 Avenue, Alberta Block and the Alberta Hotel on Stephen Avenue. Standing on the right hand side is Alexander Corner, built in 1890, which was torn down to accommodate the Hudson’s Bay Company expansion. On the right is Alexander Corner’s mirrored twin, which was occupied by the Bank of Montreal. It was torn down the same year as its twin to make way for a grand, temple form bank, which stands to this day. In the background of the modern picture are several condominium towers, built within the past decade. In 1911, these plots would have been occupied by single family houses or low-density commercial, like the Underwood Block. Notably missing from the 1911 picture is Calgary’s iconic Palliser Hotel, which at this point was still being planned. See more

NOTICE: Due to the COVID-19 situation, Chinook Country Historical Society is cancelling its in person programs for the remainder of the season. In cooperation with Calgary Public Library, Chinook Country is going virtual for our fall programming. Register for these programs on the Calgary Public Library site. The best way to find others is to go to the following URL and search for "Chinook Country Historical Society": https://calgarylibrary.ca/events-and-programs/programs/... Please visit our website from time to time for any updates. Event updates will also be communicated to members in the CCHS' monthly e-newsletter, which is sent on the 15th of each month. Stay safe everyone.

Join us for this online presentation in partnership with the Calgary Public Library and the Lougheed House. Li Miyeur Taan di l'Aanii: Metis Winter Festivities... Wednesday, Dec. 9 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. Following the harvest and fall hunt, and before trapping season, Métis communities were left with considerable downtime. From Christmas Eve to New Years, and throughout the wedding season of January and February, this downtime was often filled with ample festivities. Join us to learn more about winter merriment in Métis communities in Alberta. Resister for this free online event at: https://reg.calgarylibrary.ca/programs/online-registration

Enter before November 30 for a chance for your favourite charity to win $5000. Support the Historical Society of Alberta (or a chapter), or your other favourite charity. Let your friends and Colleagues know as well. https://www.canadahelps.org/en/givingtuesday-pledge/

- The Norman and Jo Ann Stewart Residence, also called Serendipity and the Energy Saving Earth... and Garden Home, is an Expressionist single-dwelling home built by Wolfgang H. Wenzel in 1977. This house has a novel Expressionist design, drawing on Wenzel’s propensity and knack of building site-specific, energy-efficient homes. The building’s form draws on the concept of organic architecture by nestling into its setting through its low massing, overhanging roof, choice of materials, with an open-plan interior and vaulted ceiling, harkening back to Prairie Style buildings from the turn of the century. The house is naturally insulated, with most of the living space partially below ground level, which on its own creates a sort of natural air conditioning combined with the emphasis of natural light generated by its uniquely shaped roof. The overhanging roof has a sort of steeple top with a large sunlight, which then gently slopes down over the building , with an overhanging area that helps to vent excess heat. Built in the neighbourhood of Glengarry, the building was built at a time when many single-family dwellings in the area were being converted into duplexes to accommodate increased density. In 1964, Norman and Jo Ann Stewart moved into the neighbourhood in a cottage built in 1907, with plans to build their new, unique home there. Over a decade later, than goal was achieved with the help of noted Calgary-based architect Wolfgang Wenzel, originally naming their new home Serendipity. In 1989, an extension was designed by Wenzel again, adding a living area and a raised conservatory with a basement and garage. Learn more about the Norman and Jo Ann Steward Residence here: https://www.calgary.ca//discover-historic-calgary-resource

Another beautiful photo of the Northern Lights at our site. Photo credit: Diana Picek Photography ... #MunicipalDistrictofBighorn #ChinookCountryHistoricalSociety #CalgaryFoundation #ChinookWindsRegionunitedchurchofcanada #ProvinceofAlberta #SouthernAlbertaPioneersandTheirDescendants #ChalmersHeritageConservation #WildroseUnited #StDavidsUnited #CochraneTourismAssociation #CochraneOnline #TourismCanmoreKananaski #CalgaryHistory See more

Shop local and support non-profit by shopping at our gift shop for holiday gifts and stocking stuffers . We also received our first shipment of Black Rifle ...Company coffee on sale for $17.99, absorbing the shipment costs so you can save a few bucks . Have a look! #yyc #calgary #shoplocalyyc #visitcalgary #loveyyc #yycnow #yycliving #themilitarymuseums See more

A beautiful photo of the newly restored historic church. ... #MunicipalDistrictofBighorn #ChinookCountryHistoricalSociety #CalgaryFoundation #ChinookWindsRegionunitedchurchofcanada #ProvinceofAlberta #SouthernAlbertaPioneersandTheirDescendants #ChalmersHeritageConservation #WildroseUnited #StDavidsUnited #CochraneTourismAssociation #CochraneOnline #TourismCanmoreKananaski #CalgaryHistory See more

: , In 1977, the Japanese Centennial Society of Cal...gary commemorated the 100-year anniversary of the first Japanese immigrant to settle in Canada. Celebration events were held across the country as the community came to terms with its history, including the wartime experience. The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 triggered war with Japan and unleashed hostility against Japanese Canadians. The War Measures Act in 1939 allowed the government to detain anyone suspected of spying, undermining authority, or for having fascist sympathies. Properties left behind were sold by the government without the owners’ consent. More than 90 per cent of Japanese Canadians some 21,000 people were uprooted during the war. In September, 1939, the Kananaskis Forest Experimental Station was reclaimed by the Department of Defence and adapted for use as Kananaskis Internment Camp #130. During their time in detention, the internees cleared the valley that now forms the bed of Barrier Lake. The camp closed in 1946. 2,664 Japanese detainees resettled in Alberta. The war caused a labour shortage and some were sent to southern Alberta to work on sugar beet farms. To the Japanese this was preferable to an internment camp because they could keep their families together. However, the workers were poorly paid and housed in confined spaces like shacks and chicken coops. The 1988 Redress Agreement acknowledged the injustices suffered by Japanese Canadians. PM Mulroney called upon Canadians as a nation to face the historical facts of the internment. (House of Commons, Debates, Sep 1988) Photos: A sugar beet worker near Raymond, Alberta. Glenbow Archives. NA-4510-187 Guard tower, Internment Camp 130 Kananaskis, Alberta (Library and Archives Canada, MIKAN no. 3514978).

- Built in 1933, the Currie Barracks is significant for its association with General Sir Arthur Currie,... a Great War hero and the first man to command the Canadian Corps for his ability to quickly adapt to trench warfare. The General passed away in 1933, but was honoured with the naming of the Currie Barracks just shortly after his death. While the Currie Barracks launched in 1933, much of its construction did not begin until 1934 with the Public Works Construction Act, and in 1936 the parade square was completed. The Parade Square is an open paved surface, defined by a landscaped perimeter with mature trees, barrack blocks and administration buildings, bound by Normandy Drive and Breskens Drive. The formal entrance gate is opposite the Athlone Building on the Parade Square, creating a vast, symmetrical central area to Calgary’s massive military base. Parade squares, like the one at Currie Barracks, was often used for daily inspections of soldiers’ equipment, drills and parades. It also hosted special events like investitures by the Governor General to the PPCLI. While soldiers were on march before CFB Calgary (Currie Barracks) closure, they would salute the Cenotaph at the west-end of the Parade Square. While the base if closed, the Parade Square and surrounding buildings remain as a reminder of what was there as the area is redeveloped. Learn more about the Parade Square at Currie Barracks here: https://www.calgary.ca//discover-historic-calgary-resource

Join us for out next online presentation in partnership with the Calgary Public Library: Between Heaven and Earth: A Journey with My Grandfather Sunday, Nov. 22 ... 1:00-2:30 pm Join English author Robert Nurden as he explores the life and times of his grandfather Stanley James who as a young man spent an eventful time the Canadian west before returning to England. James later became a prolific author who counted G.K. Chesterton and Bertrand Russell among others as friends. Resister for this free online event at: https://calgarylibrary.ca//between-heaven-and-earth-a-jou/

: , On December 2, 1983, a riot broke out at the Victo...ria Pavilion in Calgary during a match between Bret Hart, Davey Boy Smith and Sonny Two Rivers against Bad News Allen, The Stomper and Stomper's kayfabe son Jeff Gouldie. Longtime Stampede Wrestling announcer Ed Whalen reportedly became distraught during the riot, in which a woman was trampled, causing him to quit Stampede Wrestling on air. Speaking of the events he remarked, "We're starting to scare the patrons with this violence outside the ring, and I will not be associated with it anymore." The event led to Stampede Wrestling being banned from Calgary for six months by the city's wrestling and boxing commission. In August 1984, Stampede Wrestling was sold to the World Wrestling Federation. They took three wrestlers: Bret Hart, Davey Boy Smith, and Dynamite Kid. Their last show was held on November 5, 1984 in Vancouver, British Columbia, as a WWF/Stampede Wrestling joint show. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the Calgary based promotion ‘Stampede Wrestling’ was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies and boasts an alumni that features the likes of Bret Hart, Rick Martel and The Dynamite Kid. Photo: Glenbow Archives. Wrestling match between Archie "The Stomper" Gouldie and Stu Hart, Victoria Pavillon, Calgary, Alberta. 1968.

Our 2020 Lougheed House Christmas begins this weekend (and runs through Jan. 17) with FREE admission this Sat & Sun only. Be 1st to see how our 5 teams of desig...ners have added a brand-new theatrical flair to our Victorian ambiance. You must book your visit as a personal timed entry (to ensure your visit is safe, spacious and special) via our Eventbrite page. It's easy and fast. Click here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/christmas-season-opening-weeken See more

Six years after the end of the First World War and a decade since it begun, the First War Memorial was added to Central Memorial Park. Unveiled on 21 June 1924,... the memorial features a bronze statue of a young Canadian soldier, holding his helmet in one hand and holding his rifle in the other triumphantly as he learns the news of the Armistice. The statues is atop a Bedford stone pedestal which features a plaque sponsored by the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire, featuring a solder on one side and an angel on the other. Its inscription reads To the imperishable glory of the men of this province who fought and died for their king and country in the Great War; 1914-1918. Erected by the Col MacLeod chapter I.O.D.E. This statue stands in front of the entrance to the Central Park Library. Four years later, the Cenotaph went up on the other end of the park. Inspired by Edwin Lutyens Whitehall Cenotaph in London, the Cenotaphs are memorials to those buried elsewhere. Calgary’s Cenotaph is dedicated To those who died 1914-1918 and later amended to include the Second World War, with And 1939-1945. The back of the memorial is inscribed They shall not die while memory fulfills its task of gratitude. The Cenotaph serves as a central gathering point for many Calgarians to honour the fallen each Remembrance Day. Each year, all service branches in Calgary present wreaths, with hundreds of civilians gathering to honour those fallen. This year will be different, with ceremonies being limited in attendance or online, but the memories of those that did not return go on, continuing to fulfill the inscription of the Cenotaph.

ATTN HERITAGE LOVERS Exciting things are in the mix! Calgary Heritage Initiative is looking for images of you and your family or friends in front of Heritage ...buildings in Calgary. You can be taking a simple photo or doing some activity, or even be celebrating a wedding or birthday! These photographs will be showcased on HERITAGE INSPIRES YYC, a new multi-media initiative to promote heritage awareness and appreciation city-wide. This initiative will be launching soon, so stay tuned! To send us your photos, simple message us through Facebook!

Return of the 10th Battalion in Calgary, Alberta. April 23, 1919.