From the H-Files: Once upon a time, tents were common in the city

Content of the article

Tents were not uncommon in Calgary's early days as settlers arrived and sought shelter on a temporary and sometimes non-temporary basis. The attics were also used as business houses in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and many of the city's first businesses, including the Calgary Herald, started their operations in attics. But as the following story in the Herald archives shows, the sanitary problems of people living in tents became a serious concern by 1905. Calgary City Council passed a resolution to address these issues, including a mandate that people stop “disposing of the dead.” Animals and offensive garbage” at the exhibition site. The resolution is one of many highlighted by former Herald researcher Norma Marr as part of her H Files series, which examines historical events in the city.

Share this article on social media