Speaking of the Past

Drop by Gasoline Alley Museum for engaging presentations that will bring to life the people, places and events that mark Western Canada’s colourful past.

Included with paid admission to Gasoline Alley Museum. Free admission for annual pass holders. 

Thursday, November 22  |  2:00 PM
Buffalo Bill - History Rewrites the Victor
​William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) has been called the man who invented the Wild West. He has had a lasting impact on history and popular culture in the United States and here in Canada. As a western icon, he has been reinterpreted at times as a frontiersman, hero, celebrated showman, cultural ambassador, and opportunistic phony.  Artist Debbie.lee Miszaniec explores the shifting representation and cultural significance of Buffalo Bill as an individual and icon. 

Thursday, January 24  |  2:00 PM
Making Progress: Clothing in the 18^th and 19^th centuries
While the sewing machine improved efficiency, did it make progress in how garments fit and function for everyday life? Join Meg Furler, Costume Designer for Heritage Park, for a talk on the changing sewing trade during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. This talk will include replica garments for a hands-on experience.

Thursday, February 21  |  2:00 PM
It’s a Crime!
Most people don’t know it but Calgary has a fascinating criminal history. A mysterious visitor from Youthlink (the Calgary Police Service Interpretive Centre) will drop by and draw back the lid on a little known case from days gone by.

Thursday, March 21  |  2:00 PM
Heritage Park and Its Literary Links
Canada’s largest living history museum has many connections with fiction, poetry and nonfiction set in Calgary’s first few decades. Shaun Hunter, author of Calgary through the Eyes of Writers, offers a literary look at some of this history as revealed by Heritage Park’s exhibits.

Thursday, April 18 |  2:00 PM
Turner Valley and Alberta's First Three Oil Booms
 public historian David Finch will tell tales of the toils and triumphs of Alberta’s oil pioneers. This presentation, enhanced with pictorial images and film footage, tells the story of Turner Valley, Western Canada’s first commercial oilfield, from the early discovery period through the 1940s.