Quote:
Originally Posted by GGG
Winnipeg, Saskatchewan and even Edmonton have the same agricultural and ranching heritage yet don’t slap a cowboy hat and a horse on everything.
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But they all wish they could... and that's the point. How many times has Edmonton tried to reproduce their own annual fair that is as big and successful as the Calgary Stampede (Klondike Days and various other names) with little to no success. You have to understand Calgary and understand the history between Calgary and Edmonton and the starting of this province to truly understand the animosity between the two cities. The big four had many reasons to start "the Calgary Stampede" and I'm certain that the rivalry between the two cities was one of the primary reasons. Buffalo, the province, was recently passed over in the early 1900s for two provinces instead in 1905 with the birth of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Before this however, both cities were given the choice, to host the University of the new province (U of A) now (with construction beginning immediately) or become the capital of Alberta (or Buffalo) later when Alberta became a province - Edmonton picked the University, so Calgary was set to become the capital. This however changed when the Liberal Canadian Government stepped in and rigged the first provincial election by drawing riding boundaries beneficial to Liberal Edmonton (more seats, wagon wheel sort of division, with Edmonton the hub, this also lessened the conservative rural vote in the Edmonton area) and detrimental to Conservative Calgary (square ridings) and the first government of Alberta was therefore a Liberal one (they would NEVER again form the government after they were voted out). They would play political patronage and give the capital to Liberal Edmonton over Conservative Calgary and on September 1, 1905 when parties were happening in Edmonton after Alberta became a province, Calgary (the real capital) was quiet.
From that day on... people in Calgary, and the big four and other prominent power individuals in the city chose to make Calgary the business capital of Alberta and to succeed and make Calgary greater and better than the government dependent Edmonton - and from the prospective of a fifth generation Calgarian - I think they and us have succeeded.
** note: this is from stories passed down over the years from my family... just remember, while these stories are true, many details get lost and changed as the stories pass through the lens of time and family recollection - it's not meant to be 100 accurate historical fact.