Take a stroll through Calgary’s oldest surviving park

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Because the native historical past librarian on the Calgary Public Library, Jennifer Bobrovitz wrote a weekly column for the Calgary Herald within the Nineteen Nineties known as Cornerstones. It explored the tales behind historic buildings and websites in Calgary, current and previous. This column about Central (Memorial) Park was first revealed June 20, 1999.

Central (Memorial) Park

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By Jennifer Bobrovitz

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4th Road and 13 th Avenue S.W.

Date developed: 1908-1912

Designers: H.G.Burrows, William Reader

Unique homeowners: Metropolis of Calgary

Historic highlights:

Within the Eighteen Eighties, the 4.78- acre block of land that in the end turned Central Park was reserved as a part of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s survey of the Calgary townsite, via the authority of William Pearce, an administrator of federal lands for the Division of the Inside.

In 1894, town plowed the ”barren scrub land” of Central Park to be used as a nursery and distribution centre for town’s tree planting packages. As a part of the ”beautification” program, ratepayers have been suggested that spruce timber might be bought for 5 cents every.

In 1900, town employed a person, at $1.75 per day, to water city-owned timber within the district and keep the park’s newly-erected windmill.

G.J. Thorpe constructed a small bandstand (on the centre of the park) in 1904 at a value of $310.

Though Central Park grounds have been initially specified by 1908 by British immigrant horticulturist H.G. Burrows, web site growth continued for a number of years as money and time allowed. From 1913 to 1942, the park flourished beneath the supervision of parks superintendent William Reader, former head gardener for Patrick Burns. The park design was a symmetrical sample of lawns, beds and gravel paths.

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In a 1993 article, Metropolis Heritage Planner Rob Graham described the park. ”It’s typical of civic parks and squares of the interval in Britain and Canada and featured elaborate embroidery borders, edging and raised medallion carpets. (Reader) stored full information of plant species which present that as much as 20,000 annuals, colour-keyed for brilliancy, have been planted yearly to fulfill what he thought-about the necessities of well-liked style.” Graham additionally defined that Reader’s topiary therapy of the spruce (which continues to be maintained) is uncommon in Alberta. In actual fact, no different examples from the Edwardian period are recognized to exist within the province.

Building of the Carnegie library on the park’s east finish started in 1909 and was accomplished by December 1911.

In the course of the summer time of 1909, the Scottish Pipers Band carried out at Central Park.

In 1912, the small bandstand was torn down. A big pavilion, much like the one in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, was constructed on the park’s west finish. Throughout that summer time, an underground sprinkler system was put in, a pergola which was divided right into a sequence of vine-covered lattice work summer time homes was constructed alongside the park’s southern boundary and 1,400 timber and shrubs have been planted.

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In 1913 the realm in entrance of the bandshell was cleared and lined with rolled cinders. A consuming fountain was put in. Newly-appointed Parks Superintendent William Reader put in two massive Egyptian model urns, planted with palms, on the park’s east finish.

The South African Warfare Memorial known as ”the Horseman of the Plains,” situated on the park’s centre, was designed by famous French Canadian sculptor Louis Phillippe Hebert. On the time of its unveiling in June 1914, it was thought-about ”one of many 4 best equestrian statues on the planet.”

June 23, 1924, the First World Warfare Memorial — a bronze statue of an infantryman, designed by Montreal sculptor Coeur-de-lion MacCarthy — was unveiled on the park’s east finish.

The west finish bandshell was demolished in 1928 for the development of a cenotaph commemorating Calgary’s conflict veterans. When the cenotaph was devoted on November 11, 1928, the outdated Central Park was renamed Memorial.

In 1928, the Federal Geodetic Survey selected Memorial Park as the placement for town’s benchmark elevation level. A seven-foot concrete column was sunk into the bottom as ”a reference level for all exact levelling benchmarks in Calgary and neighborhood.” The benchmark is 3,439.66 ft above sea stage.

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In 1939, a spectacular rose backyard was developed for the royal go to of Their Majesties, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

On August 17, 1953 the Historic Websites and Monuments Board of Canada unveiled a monument to R.B. Bennett, Conservative prime minister of Canada 1930-1935, Calgary lawyer and member of Parliament. The pyramid-shaped monument on the park’s southeast facet was devoted by Eric L. Harvie Esq. Q., Honorary Colonel of the Calgary Highlanders.

The cenotaph was refurbished in preparation for the Royal Canadian Legion’s Dominion Conference, held in Calgary in 1994.

Central (Memorial ) Park is Calgary’s oldest surviving park and one of many final remaining formal Edwardian parks in Western Canada.

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