Calgary Public Art Stories

In the past 50 years, hundreds of thousands of Calgarians have walked past a time capsule in the city’s Plus 15 system without knowing it was there. In Greetings from 1975: The Calgary Time Capsule, host Peter Brown uncovers the time capsule’s story and explores its intriguing contents. The time capsule held thousands of nominations from a 1975 contest to crown Calgary’s "Citizen of the Century," alongside letters from local organizations, citizens, and school children. Through the podcast, Peter shares some of the most entertaining stories behind these entries — from a Northwest Mounted Police officer who still sparked anger a century later, to the man who brought cowboy hats and pancakes to the Stampede, to a beloved zoo curator and his boa constrictor named Agnes. Greetings from 1975 offers a revealing, surprising, and thought-provoking look at who and what we choose to remember, introducing listeners to engaging characters from Calgary’s past.

A time capsule is found in Calgary’s downtown Plus 15 pedway.  It holds thousands of nominations in a 1975 contest to crown Calgary’s “Citizen of the Century.” Host Peter Brown sets off to track down the best stories.

Why is one 1975 Calgarian so angry at a NWMP officer who left Fort Calgary a century earlier? Historian Aritha Van Herk talks about the turbulent career of Ephrem Brisebois, the “winter jerk.”

Did Guy Weadick get enough credit for the creation of the Calgary Stampede? Most people who nominated him thought he hadn’t. Dr. Christine Leppard of the Stampede’s Sam Centre discusses Weadick’s bold vision and his famous falling-out with the Stampede.

Tom Baines was a hero to hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren. The former curator of the Calgary Zoo visited schools with his collection of shark’s teeth, bear claws, amazing stories, and a boa constrictor named Agnes. Hear some of the charming and funny entries those kids submitted, and actual audio of Tom Baines making a school presentation.

One man’s life-changing encounter with Agnes the boa constrictor. The mystery of the “snake eye” solved. And the legacy of the legendary Mr. Baines.

We talk about Colonel James Walker, who was named Citizen of the Century.   We’ll hear a few final entries, and then audio from the ceremony in which the capsule was re-sealed. We finish with messages to the future — this podcast will be placed in the capsule!