|
"In an age that produced an inordinate
number of men of action, in a new and dangerous land, James Walker
was so remarkable that Calgary — faced with such candidates
as Col. James Macleod, Sir James Lougheed, R.B. Bennett and Nellie
McClung — named him their Citizen of the Century."
— Heritage Link
In 1874, the newly created North-West Mounted
Police wanted men who could withstand danger and hardship, nights
without beds, days without meals, and storms without shelter. James
Walker, resplendent in the scarlet Norfolk jacket and pillbox forage
cap of the force, was such a man.
At twenty-one, James Walker was an unsophisticated
Upper Canada farmer, veteran of ploughing matches and a course in
bookkeeping. But when the Fenians invaded, the farm boy would acquire
a taste for adventure that would last a lifetime.
He would find that adventure in the Canadian West.
He would also contribute so much to the development of an upstart
community in the foothills of Alberta that, years after his death,
Calgary would name him its Citizen of the Century.
Other titles by Grant MacEwan available through
Brindle & Glass:
Eye Opener Bob: The Story of Bob Edwards
A
Century of Grant MacEwan: Selected Writings
Frederick Haultain:
Pioneer Statesman of the Canadian Northwest
|
