2021 Chinook Country Annual General Meeting
Given that restrictions continue to be in place preventing us from meeting in person, we decided to hold our AGM virtually. We hope that you will join us for this important annual event. You can participate on Zoom, which also has a phone-in feature. Please register for the AGM by emailing your intent to attend the meeting virtually to info@chinookhistory.ca. You will receive connection information and meeting materials in the week prior to the meeting. For more information, please contact info@chinookhistory.ca or call (403) 261-4667.
CCHS Membership Contest
Qualify for our membership contest
New members who joined or current members who renewed/extended membership between January 1, 2021 and March 15, 2021 will be eligible for a draw for one of the three books above.
All three authors presented in our online events.
For more information, email us at: info@chinookhistory.ca
Congratulations Kristian Belliveau
Award Recipient of the 2020 Elise Corbet Scholarship
Congratulations to Kristian Belliveau, recipient of the 2020 Elise Corbet Scholarship. Born and raised in Calgary, Kristian is in his fourth and final year of his undergraduate degree in at the University of Calgary, majoring in History. Kristian is passionate about 20th century European and Canadian History, and intends to pursue a career in Education.
The Elise Corbet Scholarship is sponsored by the Chinook Country Historical Society. It is offered annually to a continuing undergraduate student in the University of Calgary Faculty of Arts, majoring in History. The recipient must take a minimum of two Canadian History courses (and received a grade of B or better in at least two of the courses) and have a GPA of 3.20 or higher in their last 5 history classes.
Calgarians for Heritage Districts Call for Volunteers
Can you spare a few hours to help validate heritage assets in your community?
CHI is asking for your assistance to help our collaborator, Calgarians for Heritage Districts in this important task.
A number of volunteers are required from each community to review the results of the recent Windshield Survey of Heritage Assets for completeness. A virtual training session conducted by the City’s Heritage Planning will take place Nov 8th @2pm and will provide details on the review process to be followed along with copies of the Windshield Survey. A recording of this training session along with any documentation provided will be made available shortly after Nov 8th for those who can't attend.
Please note that the scope of this effort and time required on your side is flexible - we would appreciate any help. Also, if you have any contacts who wish to assist with this important initiative, please feel free to forward this note.
Lorna Cordeiro, one of the founders of Calgarians for Heritage Districts, will be serving as the initial point of contact, please reach her at lorna.jake1@gmail.com by Monday, Nov 2nd with your expression of interest & community(s) in which you wish to assist.
Alastair Pollock, Heritage Planner with the City of Calgary has provided more details:
As you may be aware, in 2019/2020 The City of Calgary commissioned the largest visual survey of local historic buildings performed in Calgary to-date. It involved the assessment of residential buildings constructed prior to 1945 in 26 inner-city communities. This survey supported a report to City Council exploring new policy tools and financial incentives for heritage conservation. It identified thousands of sites with some degree of potential heritage significance, in addition to what is listed on Calgary’s Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources.
The recommendations of the Heritage Conservation Tools and Incentives Update Report (PUD2020-0758) were approved by Council on July 28, 2020, and City Administration is now working towards implementation throughout 2021-2023. This includes the creation of new policy tools to support the retention of intact historic houses, referred to as heritage assets, that met the survey criteria. More information on the proposed incentives, benefits and heritage area policies is available at calgary.ca/heritage, and through the full report text and presentation linked above.
At this time, in collaboration with Calgarians for Heritage Districts, The City of Calgary is providing the opportunity for interested volunteers to participate in enhancing the results of the 2019-2020 Heritage Asset Windshield Survey. Using the local knowledge and expertise of community members, the existing survey information may be improved by considering potential heritage assets that were not included in the original survey, or properties which have subsequently altered their eligibility through restoration or alteration work.
This opportunity is fully optional and is separate from other engagement or communications The City of Calgary may be conducting regarding the Conservation Tools and Incentives report implementation. As an independent community advocacy group, Calgarians for Heritage Districts will be coordinating volunteers and presenting the results of this survey review to The City of Calgary for consideration.
A remote information and training session will be jointly hosted by Calgarians for Heritage Districts and City of Calgary Heritage Planning on Sunday, November 8 at 2:00 PM for volunteers interested in participating in this opportunity (the presentation will also be available afterwards as a video recording). Volunteers will be provided with the existing windshield survey maps of any communities they wish to review, as well as criteria worksheets to evaluate individual properties they propose to add or remove from consideration as a heritage asset. Volunteers are not required to survey a complete community to submit proposed changes to the survey data. The community review period will last from November 9, 2020 to January 17, 2021.
Once the total review data has been collected by Calgarians for Heritage Districts, all suggested changes to the Heritage Asset Windshield Survey will be presented to City of Calgary Heritage Planning. Discrepancies between the findings of the 2019-2020 survey and volunteer surveys may be resolved through an additional criteria evaluation by City of Calgary Heritage Planning staff where assessments are in conflict.
Learn More
For more information about heritage assets, potential heritage area policies or the Heritage Conservation Tools and Incentives Update Report, please visit calgary.ca/heritage or contact City of Calgary Heritage Planning at cityheritage@calgary.ca
In The Footsteps of Giants
CCHS Booksale
Looking for the ideal gift for your children or grandchildren? Give them the gift of history by purchasing our two books that highlight Calgary’s history for young readers. In The Footsteps of Giants was created through the volunteer efforts of some 25 authors.
Written for readers 8 – 12 years of age, these books are also enjoyed by many adults. Readers will join fictional youths, Sarah and Harry, on their adventures as they experience Calgary and area today while learning more about the people and events of the past. They will meet the sometimes colourful characters that are part of our history and created this great city we live in.
Email us at info@chinookhistory.ca to get these books for only $10 per copy.
Following are the Tables of Content for both books:
Volume 1:
1. When Dinosaurs and Sabretooths Roamed the Bow Valley — Cory Gross
2. Sam and Jane Livingston: Pioneers — Walt DeBoni
3. Reverend George McDougall — Kate Reeves
4. The Arrival of the North West Mounted Police — Joan Lawrence
5. Sound the Trumpet: The Story of Fred Bagley — Bob Pearson
6. The Railway Comes to Town — Rob Lennard
7. We Needed Lumber: Peter Prince Delivered — Irene DeBoni
8. For Whom the Bell Tolls: Calgary’s First Schools — Valerie Walker
9. Ici On Parle Français — Elizabeth Marshall
10. Building the House of Jacob: Jacob Diamond and Congregation House of Jacob — Agnes Romer Segal
11. The Dream of Annie Davidson — Christine Hayes
12. Bowness Booms: John Hextall — Dr. Judith Barge
13. The Aviation Adventures of Fearless Freddie McCall — Shirlee Smith Matheson
14. Nellie McClung and the Famous Five — Faye Reineberg Holt
Volume 2:
1. How Napi Created Land and North Blackfoot People — Aposoyis (Stewart Breaker) and Minikaiyayii (Clifford Crane Bear), as told by their ancestors, and told to Joan Lawrence
2. Father Albert Lacombe, “The Man of Good Heart” — Helen Kominek, PhD and Gayle Thrift, PhD
3. John Glenn and Adelaide Belcourt, First Settlers at the Historic Bow Valley Ranche — Rob Lennard
4. George McLean (Chief Walking Buffalo or Tatâga Mânî) — Ian Getty
5. Bishop Cyprian Pinkham and Jean Pinkham — David Peyto
6. Charlie Yuen: Senator Patrick Burns’ Right-Hand Man — Karen Gummo
7. Bucking the Trend: Guy Weadick, the Big Four, and the Calgary Stampede — Christine Leppard
8. Leaving the Rails Behind: The Chinese Community in Calgary — Walt DeBoni
9. From Volunteer to Judge: Alice Jamieson — Sheila Moore Johnston
10. Oil! Dingman No. 1 in Turner Valley — Walt DeBoni
11. Maude Riley: Calgary’s Mrs. Claus — Karen Grikitis-Sage
12. Cappy Smart Works His Way up the Ladder — Brenda Etherington
13. Annie Gale: Alderman — Faye Reineberg Holt
14. Lines Grids and Gunny Sacks: The Story of the Stones of Signal Hill — Phyllis Wheaton
15. The Calgary Zoo is Born — Debbie Noesgaard
16. The Story of Chief Peter Wesley(Taotha) and Banff Indian Days — Roland Rollinmud, as told to Ian Getty