East Village in Calgary in Calgary Metropolitan Region, Alberta — Canada’s Prairie Region (North America)

An Outpost on the Bow River

NWMP and I.G. Baker employees build Fort Calgary

— 1875 —

An Outpost on the Bow River Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 1, 2022

1. An Outpost on the Bow River Marker

Inscription.
F Troop, under the leadership of Inspector Ephrem Brisebois, travelled to the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers to establish an outpost part way between Fort Macleod and Fort Edmonton. The I. G. Baker and Company was hired to supply materials and build the fort. With the Mounties help, the fort was completed by Christmas 1875.

Men posted at Fort Calgary were sent on long patrols to capture whiskey traders and horse thieves but as these problems diminished so did the importance of the outpost. When the Canadian Pacific Railway confirmed that the train would run through the community of Fort Calgary the NWMP planned to expand the post.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Industry & Commerce • Law Enforcement • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1875.

Location. 51° 2.691′ N, 114° 2.677′ W. Marker is in Calgary, Alberta, in Calgary Metropolitan Region. It is in East Village. Marker can be reached from 9 Avenue Southeast, 0.3 kilometers east of 6 Street Southeast, on the left when traveling east. Marker is located along the interpretive trail at Fort Calgary National Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 750 9 Avenue Southeast, Calgary AB T2G 5E1, Canada. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker

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. The North West Mounted Police March West (here, next to this marker); The Train Arrives in Calgary (here, next to this marker); The North West Territories (here, next to this marker); The NWMP Build Calgary Barracks (here, next to this marker); The Mounties Sell Calgary Barracks (here, next to this marker); The North West Mounted Police (here, next to this marker); The Frontier Community Disappears (here, next to this marker); The City of Calgary (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Calgary.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Fort Calgary National Historic Site

Also see . . .
1. Éphrem-A. Brisebois.

In 1873, when the federal government was creating the North-West Mounted Police to bring Canadian law to the west, Brisebois, a highly capable soldier and a strong Conservative, was appointed one of nine commanding officers by Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald. In the summer of 1875, he took charge of building Fort Brisebois. Brisebois fell out of favor with his superiors, and Fort Brisebois was renamed Fort Calgary in June 1876.

(Submitted on May 2, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Fort Calgary.

The I. G. Baker Company arrived
Glenbow Archives NA 828-1

2. Marker detail: Inspector Ephrem Brisebois
at the site in July 1875, having been hired to construct the NWMP outpost. The fort was initially planned to be located near present-day Holy Cross Centre. However, Brisebois elected to build the fort near the junction of the Bow and Elbow Rivers instead. Materials including spruce and pine were logged upstream and floated down to the site. The fort was originally bounded by a wooden palisade.

(Submitted on May 2, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 1, 2022

3. An Outpost on the Bow River Marker

(4th from right of related markers at this location • Fort Calgary National Historic Site in background)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 2, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 62 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 2, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.