Calgary Heritage Initiative forums

I realize that the CPR had a major effect on the formation of Calgary neighbourhoods, but I didn't know that it played a direct role in forming neighbourhoods based on socio-economic groups. I wonder if there's any more information on this subject than what's below:



"Bridgeland was once slated as a strictly working class neighbourhood, due to its proximity to the manufacturing areas in east Calgary."

"Mount Royal, still one of the most affluent neighbourhoods in Calgary, was established as such by the CPR, its standards for construction ensuring that this area would be the enclave of Calgary’s wealthy and powerful."

Since I live quite a few km away from Calgary, I can't visit the archives of the city, as much as I would like to! Are there any online sources that this article doesn't take into account?

Thanks for any information you may be able to give!

Hi julierew,

Not sure of any online sources, but a good article I recently read by Max Foran entitled "The Birth and Expansion of Calgary, 1875-1895," talks about the rivalry between the township-and-range 'Section 15' (Presently the downtown area) and 'Section 14' (Inglewood area) in trying to secure/persuade the CPR to a train section in their respective area. Its a very interesting read. I couldn't find any online text, but I'm sure if you email Max Foran at his University of Calgary address, inquiring about his paper and where you could possibly find it, he might be able to point you in the right direction or give you a digital copy if he has one (the article is pretty old).

Some time ago Max wrote Calgary: An Illustrated History (1978) and Calgary: Canada's Frontier Metropolis (1982). They both included information about the Calgary's urban development and the railway, particularly the former book. They have both been scanned and are online:

http://www.ourroots.ca/toc.aspx?id=4124 ... 288078725d

http://www.ourroots.ca/toc.aspx?id=8563 ... 307398b9dc

A good article on the topic of CPR influence on Calgary town planning in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of The Mission Statement, the newsletter of the Cliff Bungalow-Mission Community Association, by Marilyn Williams. Available at many locations in the community. The story is also in the Spring 2011 edition of the Chinook Country Historical Society newsletter.

At the links:

http://www.chinookcountry.org/newslette ... Spring.pdf

http://www.cliffbungalowmission.com/

links updated ^

There is useful information on the railway and its influence on community planning in Harold Kalman’s [i]A History of Canadian Architecture[/i] (1994), especially volume 2 for Calgary. See Chapter 9: The Railway and the Opening of the West and Chapter 12: Town Planning. Unfortunately you would need to borrow the book from the library, but its worth it.