A Salute to the History of Alberta Communities

Calgary Herald
May 2005

Fort Macleod is a town that is steeped in history.

It began as a North-West Mounted Police fort established in 1874 by Col. James Macleod, the man credited with naming Calgary. The fort was originally located on an island in the Oldman River.

Flooding problems led to the fort being relocated in 1884 to its present site, where the town of Macleod was formally incorporated in 1892 (it was renamed Fort Macleod in the 1950s).

Today, Fort Macleod boasts a population of about 3,000 and is considered a major service and tourism hub at the junction of Highways 2 and 3.

"Our big draws are the historical attractions, an incredible Main Street, and some really good physical amenities," says Mayor Shawn Patience, who also operates Southern Sign and Sports, one of the town's many homegrown businesses.

"Small-town quality of life also tends to bring people here. We're only 45 minutes from the mountains and an hour from the U.S. border."

Fort Macleod has many museums and historic sites, including the Fort Museum, which celebrates NWMP history, and the Main Street Restoration Project, which began in 1982 and features 60 buildings providing a cross-section of Alberta history.

"We also have restoration of the 1884 barracks site under way," says Patience. "We also have the Empress, the oldest operating theatre in Alberta, and a cemetery chock full of names made famous by the stories of prairies past."

Fort Macleod has attracted a large amount of industry. Major employers include Bouvry Exports and Structural Truss Systems, says Patience.

One of Fort Macleod's most famous residents is singer Joni Mitchell, who went on to become a musical superstar in the 1960s and 1970s. A number of special events are planned to mark Alberta's Centennial, including a Homecoming Gala in July, and the RCMP Musical Ride is scheduled to perform at the opening of the NWMP Barracks site on Aug. 25, Patience says.

ATCO Gas began serving the Fort Macleod area in 1912, says Lethbridge and District Operations manager Derek Harding.

"Our first agent didn't even have a company vehicle. He used to have to ride the train to do service calls," Harding says. "You can imagine the level of efficiency back then."

ATCO employees have always been involved in the community. For example, the company supported construction of a skateboard park and has also supported the Elks' Hall, Harding says.

Fort Macleod is 144 km south of Calgary.