Cultural Walking Tour through downtown Calgary

Hello. My new passionate customized tour-guiding is about to start and I want you to be part of it. My name is Ingrid and just retired from a teaching position here in Calgary. My first local walking tour was in May of 2023 and I loved it so much, that I wanted to become part of the ToursbyLocals community. Adventure brought me in 1987 to Vancouver, British Columbia and I fell in love with the way of life in Canada, married and move to Calgary, Alberta in 1993. Canada is such a huge mass of land and the history of this country is markedly different than the history of Europe. Because around 40000 years ago, long before adventurers like Christopher Columbus, Jacques Cartier and John Cabot who came to North America in the search of India, First Nations entered the New World by crossing a land bridge from Asia during the Ice Age. Calgary is a beautiful city located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Calgary was founded at the site of Fort Calgary where the Bow and Elbow Rivers meet. Calgary was founded in 1884 as the first city of the province of Alberta. Since then, Calgary has grown to. a population of 1, 3 Million. One might ask why has this city changed so drastically? This will be explained during our walking tours. Historically and culturally we are on land which belonged to many First Nation Bands. The fur trade was significant to the development of the Canada and the interaction of First Nations to settlers. In addition to furs, many things were traded at the trading posts like the horses, beads and fine fabrics from Europe. Back to the times between 1840 and 1866 the trading posts, which used the beaver pelts as currency for the exchange of commodities like sugar, salt the musket (a gun) was only be accessibly by the voyageurs with their canoes. The canoes inherited by the First Nations were the transport trucks of the fur trade. Calgary's growth and rapid changes were driven by the ranching and farming industry which encouraged the resettling of many Europeans. The CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) came from the east of Canada through Calgary and opened up an easier way of the development of the west. The east and west were finally connected. The land of Calgary and the surrounding prairie land belonged to the Blackfoot, Sarcee, Blood Tribe, Piegan and Nakoda/Stoney. On this land Treaty 7 was negotiated with the First Nations in order to establish rules for joint land use, but to this day the fairness and negotiation strategies are questioned and controversial. However the contracts did prevent more bloodshed and with the arrival of the RCMP (Royal Mounted Police) the wild West with its illegal whisky traders and lawless behaviour was brought under control. Calgary is and will always be a Cowboy city by heart and I hope you can come during our famous Stampede and experience for yourself how a city whose main income is driven by the oil and gas production is still a city of ranchers, farmers and down to earth people. Let me introduce you to the history and culture of Calgary. Thank you Ingrid 2020 - am qualified to evaluate students for the DSD 1 exam (German Speaking Diplom 1) 2012 - completed the "Teaching Second Language Certificate Level 1 and Level 2), University of Calgary Alberta 2004 - Completed the professional development program for teachers at the University of Calgary and Mount Royal College 1991 - graduated as a licensed practical nurse from Vancouver Community College 1983 - graduated as an accountant in Germany I am not a driver but I can accompany you in your vehicle.