by Anthony Imbrogno, a volunteer with The Calgary Heritage Initiative Society/Heritage Inspires YYC
From malls to promenades to markets, there’s plenty of heritage tied to Calgary’s history as a bustling commercial city and trading centre.
Christmas markets date back to medieval Europe, with the first in Vienna in 1296. Early markets were not explicitly for Christmas, they were opportunities to gather provisions before winter. By 1310 in Munich, crafts, confectionaries, and roasted chestnuts were on sale at a Saint Nicholas market. As the tradition spread across German-speaking regions, markets became stylized as “Christkindlesmarkt”.
Today the winter and Christmas season is marked by annual markets all around Calgary. Two are especially interesting for their heritage aspects. First up is Heritage Park’s Once Upon A Christmas, complete with carol singing and wagon rides.
Heritage Park Historical Village opened in 1964 with the goal of connecting people to history and preserving our culture and heritage. It’s a living museum spanning the history of the West from Indigenous cultures and the 1860s fur trade to the 1960s.
Many Calgary and area heritage buildings were relocated here, including Banff’s NWMP Barracks and Bruderheim Windmill. While it’s preferable to retain heritage buildings at their original locations to best interpret local history, relocation is sometimes the only option to preserve a structure. And then there are reconstructions, like the Wainwright Hotel.
At Gasoline Alley Museum, there’s a public collection of antique vehicles and artifacts. You can also experience 19th-century travel either by steam train or lake paddle steamer.
Another market happens at Spruce Meadows. Its International Christmas Market began in 2001, following cities worldwide in a revival of markets in the 1990s. The location is a premier international horse sports venue. It was opened in 1975 by the Southern family, who sought a down-to-earth atmosphere for the sport.
The facility hosts equestrian show jumping and breeds and trains Hanoverian horses. In 2019, it became the home of Cavalry FC, Calgary’s Premier League soccer team.
Let’s not forget the markets held all around Calgary. Check out your neighbourhood’s event information for one near you.
And stay tuned in 2025 for a special series of articles for Calgary’s 150th anniversary year.
*All copyright images cannot be shared without prior permission.
“Wainwright Hotel, Wainwright, Alberta.”, [ca. 1911-1912], (CU1126598) by Unknown. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary. The hotel burned down in 1929. A reconstruction is in Heritage Park, Calgary, Alberta. https://digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/asset-management/2R3BF1FJKK33?WS=SearchResults.
https://digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/asset-management/2R3BF1OS0U1F?WS=SearchResults. “Mill at Bruderheim, Alberta.”, 1934, (CU1114041) by Bamber. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary. Windmill three miles north of Bruderheim, Alberta. Moved to Glenbow Foundation (1959). Moved to Heritage Park (1983). L-R: Mrs. Mallon, Mr. William Mallon (owner and operator), Mr. Meyers.
https://digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/asset-management/2R3BF1FHF6AE?WS=SearchResults. “Canmore Mines Limited, locomotive 4, at Heritage Park, Calgary, Alberta”, 1964-11-20, (CU1131060) by Rosettis Studio. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
https://digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/asset-management/2R3BF1OJNKB3?WS=SearchResults. “First Nations parading on 7th Avenue at the Santa Claus parade, Calgary, Alberta.”, 1931, (CU1107062) by Unknown. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary. First Nations parading on 7 Avenue, Calgary, Alberta. At the Santa Claus parade. Courthouses and land titles building to rear.
Amy Millar for Canada at Spruce Meadows, photo by davebloggs007, 2016 (This image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spruce_meadows_Calgary_Alberta_Amy_Millar_(28973543633).jpg.
.jpg){kind=link}