Currie

Today, Currie stands as a beacon of new urbanism, linking past, present and future in one brilliant setting. Known well by generations of Canadians, Currie’s rich heritage dates back to the 1930s where it began as a Canadian Armed Forces Base. Originally created as an employment project during the Great Depression, it represents a significant milestone for the military’s establishment in Alberta. Since then, Currie has continued its legacy of optimism, momentum and positive growth.

1934

The Government of Canada designates $1.6 million (over 2 years) to build a military base in Calgary as part of the Public Works Construction Act to alleviate the effects of the Great Depression. The Currie Barracks, named for the renowned General Sir Arthur William Currie, becomes home to the largest establishment of the Canadian military in Alberta to date.

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1939

The Royal Canadian Infantry Corps, the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, and the Royal Canadian Air Force conducts training in Currie throughout the Second World War. During the war, an airstrip is constructed which paves the way for two British Commonwealth Air Training Plan stations on the base.

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1946

Currie Barracks becomes home to Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) and 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. In order to bolster Canada’s military presence in the west, Currie Barracks is dramatically transformed into a major military centre. The population of Calgary exceeds 100,000.

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1951

The Officers’ Mess Hall (J5) welcomed many important figures over its history including prime ministers and military leaders from across Canada. Most recognizable name is H.R.H. Princess Elizabeth and her husband H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh stayed in the Mess Hall after a day in Calgary.

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1964

The airstrips were officially closed and one airstrip was used as a vehicle dragstrip until the early 1980s. The remaining property was sold to the ATCO company, the City of Calgary and Mount Royal College.

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1966

The formation of the Canadian Armed Forces (bringing together the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force) results in the Currie Barracks becoming known as Canadian Forces Base Calgary (CFB Calgary) – although many people continue to refer to the base as Currie Barracks.

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1998

Forces stationed at CFB Calgary begin moving to the Canadian Forces Base Edmonton. CFB Calgary is officially decommissioned and Canada Lands Company purchases the land and buildings for future development.

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2001

After extensive community consultation, the CFB West Master Plan is approved for Garrison Woods, envisioning a vibrant urban community where future residents will live, learn, work and play. This marked the first development project for Canada Lands Company, followed by the development of Garrison Green.

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2007

The Currie Barracks Community Plan is approved and land use is confirmed for the third and final development of the original CFB Calgary.

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2010

Construction begins on the first single-family homes and the community of Currie Barracks officially launches to the public.

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2016

After a progressive new plan for the community is approved by the City of Calgary, Currie Barracks begins its evolution into a thriving, historic inner-city community.

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HISTORICAL LANDMARKS

History lives here

Currie thoughtfully preserves and celebrates the land’s history, ensuring its military heritage remains a defining part of the community.

Today, Currie is home to the largest concentration of provincially designated historic buildings and landscapes in any urban centre in Alberta. The community includes eight provincially designated heritage buildings and landscapes that have been carefully repurposed, reimagined, and modernized for contemporary use.

Throughout the neighbourhood, numerous landmarks, installations, and commemorative landscapes honour Currie’s rich military legacy and pay tribute to the Canadians who have courageously served the country in times of conflict.

The following examples highlight the historically preserved sites, legacy initiatives, and installations that celebrate and honour the community’s heritage.

Parade Square

Designed and graded in 1935, Parade Square served as the operational and ceremonial heart of Currie Barracks and was the site of daily inspections, drills, and regimental ceremonies, including the Trooping of the Colour and the presentation of new colours. It also hosted events honouring visiting dignitaries, including governors general and members of the Royal Family. The square is a large rectangular open space framed by formal tree plantings, paved pathways, and preserved historic buildings with uniform white stucco exteriors and red shingle roofs — an intentional expression of military formality that still defines the space today.

Ramshead House K4

Completed in 1936, Ramshead House was built as the residence for the regimental commander at Currie Barracks. Its English cottage-style design, with white rough-cast stucco, a pitched roof, and a distinctive cut-stone entry, set it apart from the barracks housing and reflected the comfortable conditions afforded to senior officers. The home sits along Trasimene Crescent, a meandering, tree-lined roadway.

Brad House K3

Completed in 1938, Brad House was built as the residence for the base commander at Currie Barracks. Sharing the same cottage-style form, white rough-cast stucco finish, and hipped shingle roof as the adjacent Ramshead House, the two structures were intentionally designed as a complementary pair. Like Ramshead, Brad House is linked to the Officers' Mess via Trasimene Crescent.

Officers' Mess Hall & Garden J5

The Officers' Mess was the social centre of military life on the base. Its two ballrooms hosted mess dinners where officers honoured fallen comrades, celebrated regimental achievements, and entertained Alberta's upper classes. The exterior shares the white stucco finish common across the base, but the interior sets it apart: painted barrel-vault ceilings, ornamental raised ceilings, wood-panelled fireplaces, a carved Queen's Own Rifles insignia, and an inlaid wood VP cypher in the ballroom floor. The second floor housed single officers' quarters and VIP suites for dignitaries, including members of the Royal Family. Situated at the end of Trasimene Crescent, with a formal garden to the rear, the building's setting reinforced the separation between officer culture and the base's day-to-day operations.

Stables Building D4

Completed in 1936 as one of the first structures at Currie Barracks, the Stables Building was intentionally built to house the horses of "B" Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse. Its distinctive K-shaped layout accommodated up to 100 horses across four wings, with high ceilings, operable windows, and construction designed to maximize light, airflow, and sanitation. The building served its original purpose for just three years before it was converted into accommodation for infantry recruits. Its white rough-cast stucco façade, hipped cottage-style roof, and rusticated arched entry with gable cornice returns are consistent with the broader architectural language of the base, while the symmetrical massing and repeating window pattern reflect the same military formality found throughout Currie Barracks.

Athlone Building D2

Built in 1936 as the main administration building at Currie Barracks, the Athlone Building housed the offices of the base commander, regimental commander, drill instructors, and clerical staff for over six decades. The building is centred on the west side of the Parade Square and aligned precisely with the base's ceremonial entrance gates. The exterior reflects simplified Georgian classicism: symmetrical T-shaped massing, a Palladian window at the entry pavilion, white roughcast stucco, and a hierarchy of gabled and hipped red-shingle roofs. Inside, the formal foyer features a double-return staircase with an ornamental wrought-iron balustrade, decorative scrollwork brackets, and a Canadian Army insignia inlaid in the terrazzo floor — details that set it apart from every other structure on the base. A vaulted assembly hall on the second floor and spacious lecture rooms in each pavilion completed the base's role as the operational and symbolic headquarters.

Pellat Block B8

Built in 1952 as part of the post-war expansion of Currie Barracks, the Pellat Block housed up to 500 non-commissioned members of the permanent regiments stationed at the base, including the Lord Strathcona's Horse, the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and the Queen's Own Rifles. It replaced temporary wartime facilities and met an urgent need as Currie Barracks solidified its role as Alberta's most significant permanent military base. Though more modern in design than the original Parade Square buildings, its symmetrical two-storey façade, white rough-cast stucco, hipped cottage-style roof, and Romanesque arched entries align with the architectural language established by its neighbours, reinforcing the cohesive visual backdrop of the south edge of Parade Square.

Bessborough Building B7

Built in 1936 as the main barracks for non-commissioned members, the Bessborough Building was the only permanent barracks on the base until 1952 and housed members of the Lord Strathcona's Horse, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and Queen's Own Rifles until 1971. Its H-shaped layout had four identical dormitory wings on each floor, connected by a central core housing washrooms and private NCO quarters. The exterior matches the established language of Parade Square: white rough-cast stucco, a red shingle roof with a copper-clad octagonal cupola, Romanesque arched entryways, and symmetrical massing that anchors the northwest corner of the square. Mature trees and shrubs flank the south-facing access paths, serving as visual markers of the building's entries and reinforcing the formal edge condition of the Parade Square.

Bennett Building B6

Built in 1935 as the primary mess and recreation hall for non-commissioned members at Currie Barracks, the Bennett Building was a crucial social hub for the enlisted men of the base. Its H-shaped plan was as functional as it was hierarchical — the kitchen and service core occupied the centre, while rank determined everything else: NCOs dined and recreated in the south wing with screened balconies overlooking the Parade Square, privates in the north wing with no such amenity. The exterior holds to the Parade Square's established palette with its white rough-cast stucco, red shingle roof, green-painted metal windows, Romanesque arched entries, and symmetrical massing that defines the north edge of the square. Converted to a multi-purpose building in 1971, it served at various points as headquarters for the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and the #1 Service Battalion.