Fort Calgary, Calgary

First a little interesting history about Fort Calgary - Fort Calgary tells the story of the founding and growth of Calgary. The site was first developed in 1875 by the North West Mounted Police, who arrived at the junction of the Bow and Elbow Rivers to establish a fort. They came to stop the whiskey trade and secure law and order in the West.

Well, where to start?! There are so many aspects of Fort Calgary I want to talk about I don't quite know which one to start with!

Firstly here is a brief list of a few of the activities/events you can do/participate in - Experience Calgary as a Mountie in 1875, as a railway worker in 1883 or a radio announcer in 1930!!

Fort Calgary is a brilliant and fun way to learn about history and life in the 18/1900s. I was not looking forward to this day trip in the slightest; I thought it was going to be sooooo boring! How wrong can one person be?!

The first thing I did was discover what the 'F' troop men experienced and their duties at Fort Calgary. This was so interesting and there was an actual set up of how these men had to live, you have to see it to believe it!! It made me realise that the things we all moan about to do with living situations/accommodation are very trivial and we have it good compared to what others have.

Next was the Calgary Barracks. These were the living quarters for the enlisted men. It contains a recreation room, canteen and dining hall. This was where the surrounding community came to socialise, and you can actually play pool on an actual vintage table!! Or you can even play backgammon!! It was really good to actually get to participate in these aspects as you can actual experience what the people of the community in the 1800s experienced. No TV for them!!! Ha Ha!!

Now this next part was probably the most interesting and fun part of the whole day!! This part is called The Interpretive Centre. You could actually dress up in a uniform of the Mounted Police and 'step back in time'. This was really funny, especially watching your friends/relatives doing it!!!! You just can't believe how silly they look!! They also allow you to leave your own personal mark in the jail cell, but if you're going to go, I'll leave that bit as a surprise!!!

There is a streetcar tour, which is very scenic and allows you to travel through early Calgary!! It was fun and interesting; you can't believe how much times have changed until you see it for yourself. This leads to the next activity where you can actually go live on the air in the radio station. I found this funny but weird, I never realised how different your voice sounds when you hear it through a speaker, it is definitely different from when you talk!!! It makes me cringe just to think about it!!

People who work there actually walk around in clothes people wore back in the 1800s, and some even represent actual characters, which is really entertaining to watch!!

The most beautiful part of the whole day, was strolling along the banks of the Bow and Elbow Rivers, where you can also see the beautiful Fort Calgary Park. It is so beautiful; I absolutely loved this part of the tour. I was also very impressed by the community garden; they actually grow their own vegetables and things, which are used in the 'Mess Kitchen' where you can buy your lunch.

The Mess Kitchen is a brilliant way of experiencing how they dined in the 1800s. They actually use cherry-stained old-style wainscoting and vintage enamelware dishes!! It was brilliant, and a nice way to have a bit of a rest!!! I needed it, I was shattered by lunch!!

All in all, Fort Calgary is a fantastic, interesting, educational and fun day out. Young and old alike will love this day!! There is so much to do for everyone!! I learned loads about the how people lived in earlier times. I also love Canada and it was nice to learn something historic about the place.

If you ever go Calgary, Canada, this is a must-see day out!!

I hope this was useful and helped give you an idea of something you'd like to do if you ever went there. There is just one aspect I feel I should mention. Calgary is not well known for buses, and I would recommend that if you were to go there, hiring a car would be your best option. Although taxi fares are quite cheap, but then again we do live in Britain!!!