Camping season is right around the corner. It’s a favourite pastime for many Albertans and something we look forward to each year as the days get warmer. With the spirit of that in mind, I present to you a collection of historical camping photographs from across western Canada. These photos might not depict the same type of camping we’ve become used to these days and, in fact, there’s quite a variety of camping setups, including round-up camps, railroad camps, survey camps, hunting camps, and First Nation camps to name a few. As you’re prepping your camping gear for the upcoming season, why not enjoy this peak back at the way things used to be.
Camping near the Bow River, Calgary, Alberta, 1883Packing outfit getting horses ready, 1890sFred Stephens, Arthur Arnold and Tom Lusk sitting in camp, [Rocky Mountains, Alberta?\, 1890-1909Cowboys at round-up camp, southern Alberta, 1887-1889Hay camp, 76 ranch, Crane Lake, Saskatchewan, 1888-1889Camp at Medicine Hat, Alberta, 1883Canadian Pacific Railway engineers camp at Mount Stephen, Field, British Columbia, 1884Canadian Pacific Railway camp at Selkirk Summit, British Columbia, 1886-1889Robert Randolph Bruce, Canadian Pacific Railway surveyor, inside tent, 1890sCanadian Pacific Railway survey team in camp, 1890sBull train camp, Benton-Macleod trail (from Fort Benton, Montana to Fort Macleod, Alberta), 1880sAmerican camp near West Lynne, Manitoba, 1872Photographers camp, International Boundary Survey, 1873Astronomical camp near, Turtle Mountain, Manitoba, 1873Survey camp at Wood End, Saskatchewan, 1873Lieutenant’s Galwey’s Canadian camp, 1874Mount Wilson from the valley of the Belly River, Alberta, 1874Snow bound camp, Mill Creek, Alberta, 1881Deer hunting party in the Rocky Mountains, Alberta, 1880sColonel James Macleod family’s camp near Waterton Lakes, Alberta, 1890-1893Sporting party camped on Highwood River, Alberta, 1890sSurvey camp, McPherson’s Coulee, Alberta, 1890A man at rest at a campsite in the foothills, probably in southern Alberta, 1880sBlackfoot encampment, southern Alberta, 1890Camp of North-West Mounted Police, Fort Walsh, North-West Territories (later Saskatchewan and Alberta), 1878-1879View of troops’ camps at internment camp at Castle, Alberta, 1916. Object #A15281Men and tents at surveyor’s camp, Peace River district, Alberta, 1917. Object #A14229Blackfoot women and children at a Blackfoot Camp near Rosebud, 1910. Object #A11527Bedding being aired out in a field at the Canadian Girls in Training camp, Vilna, 1941. Object #A11880View of men, tents, horses, and equipment at the Canadian Mounted Rifles Camp, Edmonton, 1908. Object #A11658
The photos above were collected from the Glenbow Archives and the Provincial Archives of Alberta. If you’re interested, additional information can be found for each photograph on the Glenbow website by searching the identification number that is printed on the photo. There is also the option to purchase a high resolution copy. If you search the object number that can be found in the photo captions, you will find additional information about the photographs on the Provincial Archives website. Stay tuned for additional posts featuring historical photos from across Alberta. We’d love to know what you think in the comment section below.
Tyler is originally from Saskatchewan, and yes he cheers for the Roughriders, but don’t hold that against him as Calgary has been his home for the past eight years. He is a teacher working at a wilderness-
based treatment program for youth working to overcome addiction. Tyler is also a volunteer with the GOT Parks initiative, which aims at reconnecting Canada’s youth with our national, provincial, and territorial parks. During his time away from work, Tyler enjoys outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, and snowboarding, team sports, travelling, photography, spending time with good friends, and being at home with his wife and German Shepherd, Rome.
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