Fort Calgary National Historic Site of Canada

Fort Calgary was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1925 because:

• it was the site of the arrival, in August, 1875, of ‘F’ troop of the North West Mounted Police, and the establishment of their post, within the limits of the present day city of Calgary.

Named by Assistant Commissioner James F. Macleod after his Scottish ancestral home, Fort Calgary was a base for patrols to native communities and ranches, and for police duties during the construction of the C.P.R. railway. Rebuilt as a district headquarters in 1882, by some seventy men of ‘F’ troop of the NWMP, the post was the focal point for the new settlement of Calgary. Fort Calgary formed part of a network of forts constructed across Canada that played an important role in the extension and enforcement of federal law in Canada during the latter part of the 19th century.

Fort Calgary served as a base for the NWMP forces. They were assigned the task of enforcing federal law in the district and suppressing the traffic of whiskey along the Bow River. Following the arrival of the NWMP contingent in April 1875 a strategic site overlooking the rivers was selected. Construction began in late summer and the fort was completed within approximately six weeks. The fort’s outer walls were constructed of 3.5 metre pine logs floated from upstream and set in trenches 1 metre deep.