ALBERTA
History and Trivia
|
Regina was the capital of the Northwest Territories from 1882 until 1905. From the outset, the City, its developers, and its home-owners took it upon themselves to create a green oasis on the treeless prairie, giving the city its inviting tree-lined streets and an abundance of green space. Regina was incorporated in 1903 when it had a population of about 30,000. In 1905 it became the capital of the newly incorporated province of Saskatchewan. The Northwest Mounted Police became one of the most respected forces in the world, and were renamed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In 1920, their headquarters moved to Ottawa, but their training centre remained in Regina. |
CALGARY and The Railroad
The town of Calgary was a thriving
western settlement, centered around
the community of Inglewood. The
building of the transcontinenetal
railroad changed the city's
landscape, as the CPR built its
station beside the current Palliser
Hotel. In 1896 the transcontinental
railroad began carrying passengers
and freight to the Pacific Ocean, and
the city began to grow quickly being
a jumping off point for new settlers in the area. The city became a major
commercial centre as agricultural goods were sold for eastern consumption,
and the farmers bought manufactured goods, brought fromthe east by the
railroad.
In 1894, The City of Calgary was incorporated. In 1904, the City abandoned
most street names and converted to numbered streets. In 1908, the city got its
first municipal railroad (street cars) and a public library. Many of the sandstone
buildings along the eastern end of Stephen (8th) Avenue Walk and along
Atlantic (9th) Avenue SE date back to this era. Over the next three years,
Calgary grew by 30,000 people to to a robust 85,000.
Sitting Bull, along with 500 Sioux, arrived in Canada after the
Sioux Indians he and Crazy Horse were leading, killed General
George Custer and his 265 men at the Battle of Little Big Horn.
He had fled over the Canadian border where they would be safe
from the US army. Over the next five years the NWMP
managed to keep the Sioux warriors under control. In 1879 the
government decided that the Sioux were 'American Indians',
although they had historically ranged back and forth across the
49th parallel and worked toward having them ousted from
Canada. The Canadian government refused to sign any treaties
with the Sioux and would give them no land or food. Finally, in
1881, Sitting Bull led his starving people south. Nine years later
Sitting Bull and eight of his followers were killed resisting arrest.
Source - Alberta History Along the Highway by Ted Stone
Source - Heritage Hunter's Guide to Alberta Museums by
Roberta Hursey
5/8/01 10:21:07 AM
Calgary Trivia
