Author: Ara (Page 41 of 41)

Calgary’s McHugh Bluff

Felix McHugh was a homesteader who moved to (what is now) Calgary from Ontario in the late 1800’s. He settled the land and, with his brothers John and Thomas, started work in the cattle industry, supplying meat to the nearby First Nation reservations. Among McHugh’s farmhands was Harry Longabaugh, A.K.A Harry Place, A.K.A. Frank Boyd, A.K.A. The Sundance Kid – who would later become a renowned outlaw (portrayed by Robert Redford in fila few decades later).

Eventually, Ezra Riley purchased the land from the McHughs and sold it to the City of Calgary in 1906. It was subdivided into the communities of Hillhurst, West Hillhurst and Hounsfield Heights in 1910. In that same year, he donated the property of Riley Park to the City of Calgary. Hillhurst and Sunnyside were established as communities in 1914.

Felix McHugh died on May 4th, 1912 at the age of 61. The site of his home is now a playground that sits on the corner where 5th Avenue and 7th Street NW meet.

Today is the launch of #Sunnyside365! I’m Simultaneously excited and terrified!

I chose this day to launch this project for two reasons:

• First, it’s the Summer Solstice. I figured it would be a great milestone to measure this project by the equinox and solstices throughout the journey.
• Secondly, I wanted to profile some history of the Sunnyside/Hillhurst area of Calgary. However, the more I looked into the history of this community, the more I learned about the First Nations communities who used to call this place home. I thought that coinciding the launch of #Sunnyside365 with National Aboriginal Day was the best way I could honour the Treaty 7 Nations who relinquished claim to this area.

History has not been kind to Canada’s indigenous people. As a first generation Canadian of Armenian descent, I’m frequently reminded of the unhealing wound our people felt in the massacres, genocide and annexation of our homelands, of the Armenian Diaspora who were separated from their homes by war and politics. I can hardly imagine what it must be like to the Tsuu T’ina, Stoney/Nakoda, Kainai, Piikani, Siksika people who became lower than secondary citizens when the Homesteaders arrived.

I’d like to dedicate this project to Canada’s Aboriginal people.