Have You Ever Wondered… Why?
by Joey Stewart. Thank you to the Glenbow Museum for the photos.
Have you ever wondered why many roadways in Calgary are called trails. The trails are from the old roads that were in use in the area before Calgary existed in 1884. Edmonton Trail was the wagon road that led to Edmonton; Macleod Trail led to Fort Macleod, and the Banff Trail led to Banff. The major freeways in Calgary are called “trails” by long tradition. It is hard to explain to outsiders that Calgary didn’t change the name of a trail after it became a freeway, but that was how we did it and how we still do it to honour our Indigenous peoples.
So, why is the Deerfoot Trail called the Deerfoot Trail?
Well, this 46.4 km freeway was known to many of us as the beginning of Highway #2. Deerfoot Trail stretches the entire north to south length of the city. The first section was opened in 1971 and called the Blackfoot Trail and in 1974 renamed Deerfoot Trail to honour Deerfoot, a late 19th Century Siksika (Blackfoot) long distance runner known for his exceptional speed. He was known in the area as a great talent and won races against runners from as far away as Europe. On two occasions he won races but his opponent was credited with the victory….what? That wasn’t fair; it’s documented in the archives!
The construction of the Deerfoot Trail was started in 1971 and was not entirely a freeway until 2005 when it was finally completed. Whew! All of Calgary was relieved!
It is generally also known for its congestion. Traffic levels have steadily increased as Calgary’s population has tripled to over 1.3 million since 1971. In 2019, the volume exceeded 173,000 per day, more than twice for which it was designed. It is Alberta’s busiest roadway, as if I needed to tell you!
Crowchild Trail was so named in 1971 for David Crowchild (1899-1982) who was chief of the Tsuut’ina Nation from 1946 to 1953. Part of this road was the Morley Trail when it was actually a trail. It was first paved in the 1930s. The Chief David Crowchild Memorial Award is given to people who demonstrate leadership in building relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in Calgary. Crowchild was well known as a wise person who increased the level of acceptance of First Nations in and around the City of Calgary. When he learned that a prominent road was named after him, he said, “May this be a symbol of cutting all barriers between all peoples for all times to come”. Very Profound!
Richmond “Road” was created in 1818 and led to TsuuT’ina as a dirt trail. The dirt track became corduroy and then in 1852 was macadamized, which means to construct or finish (a road) by compacting into a solid mass of a layer of small broken stones! Who knew?
Stoney Trail is derived from the Nakoda First Nation. The planning for the road began in the 1970s – it takes a long time to construct such a massive project. It is about 92 km around Calgary and the last 9 km are expected to be completed in 2024, delayed from the original target of 2022. It serves as a bypass for the congested routes though Calgary. So many of us are grateful for this new freeway!
