Calgary then and now – Currie Barracks Parade Square

In this post we find ourselves at Parade Square in the old Currie Barracks base, officially Canadian Forces Base Calgary, in the southwest quadrant of the city. The first image takes us way back to 1971 and shows a military ceremony taking pace here. In our photo, captured in March of this year, it’s a much quieter scene – those sorts of events no longer happen at this location, and haven’t for a while, as the base was decommissioned some time ago…

This post has been updated and is now here: Currie Barracks Parade Square

See you there!

More then and now posts…
Shaunavon Saskatchewan then and now.
Crowsnest then and now.
Calgary then and now – Dominion Bridge.

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date: March, 2015.
Location: Calgary, AB.
Article sources: former personal connected to the base.

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Currie Barracks

Parade Square, Currie Barracks Calgary, 1971 – John Bacon Collection.

Parade Square Calgary

We even found the crack.

36 responses

  1. paul says:

    (Cut & paste to browser)
    youtube.com/watch?v=0v7Y0dmezZo

    Parade square at 3:40

    • Very cool! I see a caption suggests it could be in Edmonton too. Looks like Calgary, but I think a lot of these bases were similar in appearance, so who knowns? Thanks for sharing!

  2. Karen Ferrell Epps says:

    I lived in one of 3 apartments that were converted from the end of a hangar on the edge of the Parade Grounds in the late 40s/early 50s’ facing the large white buildings. I still love a parade, pipes and drums and have so many fond memories of our time there.

    • Wow, we’ve heard from so many people connected to the place. Blown away! And all seem to speak fondly of it, which is fantastic. Thanks for commenting.

  3. Mnm. Eberwein says:

    I took my turn on that parade square in the early 1960s 120 degrees farenheit and that was in the morning. I swore if I ever got out of the army, I would go next door to Lincoln Park, join the Air Force and bomb the hell out of that piece of ashphalt.

    • Oh yes, love it! Great comment! I can’t imagine how it would be standing there on a hot day. Maybe fry up some bacon and eggs while there? Seems a lot of people we spoke with connected to the place have this intense love/hate relationship with it. Leaning more to the side of hate. Thanks for commenting!

  4. Shelagh Hooton says:

    I grew up about 2 miles away from Currie Barracks. Great to see this article!

  5. Philip Van Leeuwen says:

    Wow….very nice. That crack in the pavement was then already there. I should certainly see this next time I get back to my old neighbourhood.

  6. Bill DesLauriers says:

    Dad was in the Forces, so we lived in PMQ’s.
    Remember the “Feu de Joie” when the PPCLI was parading on the square. Impressed me a lot when I was a kid.

  7. Dave Burke says:

    I was posted to the PPCLI there June 27, 1973. Spent a lot of time on that asphalt getting yelled at lol.

  8. Ron Peterson says:

    I remember marching on that parade square in Cadets many years ago. Those barracks needed updating then, too bad they can’t turn it into low income housing somehow.

    • Redevelopment always wins in Canada. There’s little sentiment for the old stuff and the needs of those who are disadvantaged are rarely considered.

  9. Andy says:

    Spent many hours “pounding the pavement” on that parade square from ’87 to ’93, as well as the one in the former Sarcee Barracks.

  10. Robert Taje says:

    Truly a shame and a waste of time and money to close the base.

  11. Jordan van der Veen says:

    You did get the crack! That’s just so amazing.

  12. Richard James Gill says:

    I got the strap for walking across that parade square.

  13. Patricia L Morris Allen says:

    Had my Scout troop here for a Remembrance Day.

  14. Cathy W says:

    I recognized it right away…(army brat).

  15. D Burke says:

    I moved into the barracks building two to the left of the one in your photo, June 27th. 1973. I got called a lot of names on that parade square lol. On parade we were roll called by last name and initials. My initials D. P. gave a lot of pleasure to various NCOs lol.

  16. Carrie Rung says:

    My husband stood on this parade square in 1976.

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