Bring Back Fort Calgary
Have you heard of The Confluence?
If not, you’re not alone - most Calgarians haven’t.
And there’s a reason for that.
The Confluence is the new name quietly given to Fort Calgary last year.
That’s right - Fort Calgary, the birthplace of our city, has a new “politically correct” name.
Founded 150 years ago, Fort Calgary is where the North-West Mounted Police established their post in 1875 - a site that became the foundation for the city of Calgary as we know it today.
It's not just a historical landmark - it’s a symbol of our roots, our growth, and our identity.
But, instead of commemorating that significant anniversary, our current city leaders would prefer it be entirely forgotten.
The Confluence’s website barely mentions it - other than to advertise an event series called “Hot Takes on History” that will feature discussions on "decolonization", "the racist roots of Calgary's institutions", and more.
[Edit: After we launched this petition, they added one sub-page to their site about Fort Calgary.]
Perhaps it’s no surprise then that Calgarians aren’t buying the rebrand.
“The Confluence” is a generic, corporate-sounding label that has connected with so few people that the City is now launching a new marketing campaign and survey to figure out why no one’s buying into it.
We can save them the trouble and expense - Fort Calgary should never have been renamed in the first place.
Let's be clear: we fully support telling the complete story of Calgary - from its earliest days to the present, and everything in between.
Even Fort Calgary’s own survey showed that Calgarians want varied histories to be told.
People are interested in learning more about Indigenous cultures, early Calgary life, the RCMP, and the broader evolution of the city.
But, telling varied stories doesn't mean a replacement of one with another.
We can - and should - tell many stories at once.
Yet, instead, we’re seeing this kind of erasure happen in cities all across the country.
Schools, streets, neighbourhoods, parks - all being renamed in the name of inclusion.
And far too often, these decisions are being made behind closed doors, with no real public input, no accountability, and no respect for the past.
Regular Calgarians didn’t ask for the name Fort Calgary to be erased.
Renaming Fort Calgary doesn’t bring people together - it divides us.
It turns a place that could help unite Calgarians through shared understanding into a political battleground over identity and language.
Even worse, this wasn’t just a simple name change - it’s part of a broader cultural shift at publicly funded institutions like Fort Calgary.
Instead of preserving and celebrating history, they’re rewriting it to fit a narrow ideological lens.
And they’re doing it with your money.
Now, after a year of confusion and low public engagement, they’re spending even more of your tax dollars on a brand no one likes
Yet more taxpayer money being spent to try and fix the image they spent taxpayer money destroying.
Fort Calgary doesn’t need a rebrand.
It’s time to send a clear message - Fort Calgary belongs to the people of Calgary - not to unelected boards, PR firms, or political activists.
If we don’t speak up now, it won’t stop with Fort Calgary.
Let’s protect our heritage.
Let’s restore our history.
Let’s Bring Back Fort Calgary.
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Thanks,
Barb Fischer