Chinook Chapter

Historic Calgary Week has wrapped up for another year with over 3,000 attendees at the 81 events. Attendance was impacted somewhat due to inclement weather on several days with many of last-minute cancellations. Thank you to all that attended even in less-than-ideal conditions. As usual, personal experiences brought to the presentations enhanced the experience for all. We thank Elder Ernest Poundmaker for his wise words of welcome and prayer at the Opening Ceremonies. Addresses by Councillor Terry Wong and by the Alberta Leader of the Opposition, Naheed Nenshi, were much appreciated. The music video, My Alberta Home, by Carolyn Harley was the perfect way to finish the Opening Ceremonies.   Several events showed the connection between our natural and our built environments.  Others, such as Contemporary Calgary, fireWORKS, and the Stampede showed the connection between the past, present, and future.  We all learned more about inclusivity in events such as the Drum Circle, the tour of the Chinese Cultural Centre (and dim sum lunch), Honouring the Gold Mountain Dreamers, and The Centre for Newcomers.  Most remembered the notoriety of the Cecil and hearing from an undercover policeman as well as George Weber’s humanity brought that era to life.  Evocative presentations such as Stephen Avenue Comes Alive, Lost Calgary and Memories in Miniature were enjoyed by attendees. And of course, walking tours of neighborhoods remained a favourite.   A huge thank you to our 90+ presenters whose many hours of research and reflection brought a richness to the presentations of our history. Again, we witnessed some superb presentations. The tremendous contribution of our volunteers is much appreciated as Historic Calgary Week could not exist without their dedication and hard work. The support of our sponsors and partner organizations was vital in bringing these events to you.   The new registration system used for many of our events this year was a great success that improved the process immensely. We look forward to further streamlining this next year.      

See you at the 36th Historic Calgary Week – July 24 through August 3, 2026

All photos: Walter DeBoni