Inglewood Walking Tour (Self Guided), Calgary

Fort Calgary was constructed in 1875 under federal orders. The fort was established predominantly to extricate whiskey traders settled in that area. This fort is located at the junction of Elbowrivers and Bow in Calgary.

The exact spot to construct the fort on the Bow was identified by the F Troop that traveled upon Ephrem A. Brisebois’ command from Fort Macleod. The troop set foot on the Bow using a makeshift tarpaulin and wagon box. The first member who set foot on the Bow is Corporal George Clift King which is why he is referred to as the first citizen of Calgary.

Spruce logs from upstream and pine were materials used to construct the fort. It consists of buildings such as the men’s quarters, storage facilities, stables and guard room. Originally, the fort was named “Bow Fort” or “The Elbow”.

There was an attempt to name the fort after Captain Brisebois. As he was not very popular, the attempt was unsuccessful and the fort was eventually renamed Fort Calgary in 1876. In 1882, new barracks were constructed by tearing down parts of the old fort. In 1888, due to the destruction of a barrack in 1884, a two story building was constructed with a capacity of housing 100 men.

Fort Calgary is a must-see attraction for anyone who wants to know the history of Calgary. It is frequented by thousands of tourists and locals each year.

Deane House was constructed close to Calgary Fort in 1906 as a residence for Captain Richard Deane. All the fort buildings were purchased by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and demolished except the Deane House.

From where it was located before, Deane House was moved to the southeast corner. It was in 1929 that the house was bought by C.L. Jacques who moved it across Elbow River to its present location.

For many decades, Deane House was used as a boarding house. After the house was bought over by City of Calgary in the seventies, it was named the Dandelion Gallery and used as an art gallery. Today, Deane House houses a restaurant and is frequented by tourists and locals.

One of the most interesting aspects of this house is its reputation for being haunted. This is because, a number of unusual deaths occurred here when it was used as a boarding lodge. Some of the first paranormal occurrences were reported in late seventies and early eighties when the house was used by artists as studio space.

If you love mystery, thrill and excitement, you must visit the unique and popular Deane House on your trip to Calgary. After all, it is not every day that we get a chance to visit a haunted house.

Calgary Zoo was established in 1929. You will find it located close to the East Village and Inglewood neighborhood in Bridgeland, to the east of Calgary city. This is the second largest zoo in Canada, spanning a vast area, most of which is located in Bow River’s St. George’s Island. Visitors are thrilled with the large number of animals here. There are over a thousand of them, in addition to 290 species of individual insects and fishes. As you walk around the zoo, you will certainly be impressed with the meticulously arranged exhibits.

Animals are displayed in accordance with their geographical habitats. Some of the popular current exhibits include Canadian Wilds, destination Africa, South America, Prehistoric Park, Eurasia and Botanical Gardens. Walk into Destination Africa and you will certainly be bowled over by the African Savannah and the TransAlta Rain Forest.

Calgary Zoo has recently opened a penguin house which has proved extremely popular. It is highly advisable to keep an entire day free, as you will certainly take long to see all the animals here. Calgary Zoo is open through the year except on Christmas. Take your family to this well organized zoo and have a wonderful time.

You can learn all you want to about natural environment at the Bow Habitat Station. This is the first ever eco-park in Alberta. At this station, you will find exciting interactive exhibits and displays. Visitors are taken on a working trout hatchery tours, which incidentally is one of the largest enclosed hatcheries in North America.

Apart from this, you will also find the Pearce Estate Park Interpretive Wetland, the Sam Livingstone Fish Hatchery and the interpretive Visitor’s Center. You can enjoy the fascinating experience of watching more than 3 million fishes that are raised here.

You will also learn everything you need to know about fishes here including the fact that there are over 65 species of fishes in Alberta. You cannot miss out the enormous rainbow trout display. If you have children, you can be sure they will be delighted matching internal organs of fish with their names. To find out if the answer is right or not, you can check the light activated after you press the button.

Excitement continues as adults and kids do things they would not have otherwise dreamt about. You can even open a manhole cover and peek inside. Outside, you will find the Pearce Estate Park Interpretive Wetland. Here you can walk the trails or simply sit and relax under the natural setting.

If you love watching birds, do not miss a visit to Inglewood Bird Sanctuary on your trip to Calgary. This wildlife reserve is spread over 36 hectares and is inhabited by at least 270 species of birds. There is no dearth of nature trails here that run through the riverine forest.

You can find a variety of interesting wildlife at this sanctuary any time of the year, even though summer and spring are the best seasons for bird viewing. If you are here during late fall or spring, you will find uncommon species of gull. During fall migration, you can find many warblers.

The sanctuary is bordered by the Bow River Pathway through which bicycles and pedestrians access the area. This sanctuary is open on all days of the year from dawn to dusk. You can enjoy the natural ambience strolling along the 2.5 km pathways. On the western side of the lagoon, between the river and the south bridge, you will find trails that are wheelchair accessible.

Visit this sanctuary in various seasons and you will find that more birds come here during certain periods than others. If you wish to enjoy watching the migrant songbirds, the best time to be here is August and September.

If you visit the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary during winter, you will find a lot of tame black capped chickadees and thousands of mallards.