Fort Calgary rebranded as The Confluence

Fort Calgary rebrand to broaden narrative of past Fort Calgary is changing its name to be more inclusive in the spirit of reconciliation, and as part of a revitalization effort.

In an effort to revitalize itself, Fort Calgary is changing its name and logo to reflect more of the history of the location where it sits.

The site, located at the Bow and Elbow Rivers in Calgary, will now be known as The Confluence: Historic Site and Parkland.

"The stories of this land are complex," said Jennifer Thompson, president of The Confluence. "That’s why we engaged Indigenous Peoples, Calgarians, partners, the RCMP, and other key audiences to gather knowledge and perspective. We heard that telling a broader cross-section of history about The Confluence and advancing Truth and Reconciliation was important.

"The Confluence is about the coming together of separate entities, identities and histories," she added.

"Today we are officially launching a new name, and taking an important step towards telling the many stories of this land that we call Calgary today."

Thompson adds that the name change went through an engagement and consultation process with more than 1,500 stakeholders.

Broaden the narrative

The hope now is to broaden the narrative far beyond when Fort Calgary was built by the North West Mounted Police in 1875.

That includes the creation of new exhibits, which haven’t been updated since 1994 or 2001.

New curator of the space, Star Crop Eared Wolf, announced the creation of a new Blackfoot First Nation exhibit set to open in December.

As a Blackfoot member herself, she says a lot of work went into gathering informative interviews with elders and creating what she hopes to be an interactive and dynamic up-close experience for others to understand her culture.

“So now, being able to sit at the table and give my ideas and thoughts and having been validated and to be able to create a Blackfoot exhibit is a step in the right direction,” Crop Eared Wolf said.

“I'm also really excited about this name change. Historically in Blackfoot culture, we change our names as we go through different aspects of life, so it's necessary.  I think, is a sign of growth. What we're trying to do here is bring it into a different path and show the diversity and dynamic mosaic of cultures that exist in the Calgary area.”

The Confluence has also been given a new Blackfoot name "I’táámito’táaattsiiyio’pi" which means ‘harmonious meeting place.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek also attended the event, describing the new name as a place of ‘incredible energy’ that will soon be near the hub of a brand new entertainment district that will host inviting festivals for everyone.

“The past meets the present here at the confluence. It's our responsibility to reflect on how we arrived here, and how we ensure that the bright future we all want is one that's inclusive,” she said.

“I believe this organization will play a very big role in shining a light on our history and it will help us guide us on our journey together.”

The Confluence will soon host an open house on Sunday May 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to show attendees how its new identity connects the community through a variety of activities for all ages.

Officials say the historical designation assigned to the location was linked to Fort Calgary and that designation will remain with that name in place.