Issue 1 : The Beginning

By Dave Marshall.

It all starts with a meeting of a group of Inglewood residents…
“At a meeting in the Garry Theatre on Sunday, June 5, 1949”, the Community Association CONSTITUTION declares, “it was unanimously decided to form a community association.” It goes on to state, “The organization shall be known as the Inglewood Community Association”; and Sec. 3) OBJECTS: laid down the basic philosophy, which was “To establish a concerted front to deal with matters relative to the welfare of the community as a whole.” So much for the myth of fledgling Community Associations being mere social clubs! The section concludes with “The above to include sports and social affairs”, to be sure; but you’ll soon find out how tenacious the new Association’s members were in accommodating those “affairs”. Indeed, a hint of the demonstrable strength that the Association was to exhibit over the ensuing decades is probably best illustrated by the description of the rights of Membership, to wit: Sec. 4) MEMBERSHIP: “…Members only will be permitted voting POWERS (my emphasis) at any meeting.” Participation in the Inglewood Community Association was to be no mere privilege, but rather the inalienable right to determine the future of the neighbourhood, as fine a description of democracy as there is.

A City of Calgary letter dated December 29, 1954 regarding community leases from W. Garnett, Director of Sports and Recreation to Mr. E. M. Bredin, the City Solicitor, indicates that “the Inglewood Community Association have been granted permission to use the old East Calgary Fire Hall at 9 Ave. and 11 Street, and I believe this Organization are now subletting to Calgary Girls’ Town, at least on a part time basis.” The Association had a home. And it wouldn’t be the last time that the Inglewood Community Association assumed stewardship of one of the grand old edifices in Inglewood, thus preserving it from, in some cases, as you’ll see, certain destruction. Nor would their assistance to an area charity be confined to this one instance through the decades.

And so, with a home base intact, on “this 5th day of March A.D. 1956”, an APPLICATION FOR INCORPORATION UNDER THE SOCIETIES ACT was sent to Edmonton, with the above Constitutional declaration of interdependence attached, and signed by:

Allan Spencer
Sheetmetal Worker

E. A. Anderson
Accountant

Olive Spencer
Housewife

Alice E. Sturla
Housewife

Zita Smythe
Housewife

Irene Moffatt
Housewife

Marion King
Housewife

Pete Kennedy
Zookeeper
In its response, the Government of Alberta issued a Certificate of Incorporation on September 18, 1956, “given under my hand and seal of office” by a Jas. Warr, Registrar of Joint Stock Companies. The Inglewood Community Association was in business.

However it wasn’t long before the Association found themselves in the first of many battles dealing “with matters relative to the welfare of the community as a whole”. The issue was a swimming pool.
A letter of September 28, 1961 to “His Worship Mayor Hays and Council”, signed by “Barbara May, Secretary, per W.W. Gaskarth, President” laid out the Community Association’s case. “At a recent meeting of this Association we were asked to write and notify you that this community wishes to negotiate with the City in regard to a swimming pool being located in the immediate Inglewood area…some years ago approximately $5000.00 was raised and placed in a trust fund for the sole purpose of building a pool…The Kinsmen Club of Calgary has been approached…”. The Kinsmen Club noted that the City had funded 50% of the cost of pools they had sponsored, and assumed all the maintenance costs and responsibilities
upon construction. Their most recent pool, in Bridgeland, was “approximately $120,000.00”.

A letter of November 14, 1961 from “Mr. J. Steel, Commissioner of Public Works” indicated that “At the Council meeting of November 13, the following motion was adopted: That…the Commissioners…give further consideration to the… matter of further negotiations with the Inglewood Community Association both as to location and construction of a possible pool...”. During debate, “Ald. MacEwan doubted the wisdom of laying down a long range plan for swimming pool construction in the light of more necessitous capital expenditures.”

A January 24, 1962 letter from the City Clerk to President Gaskarth stated, “Under the proposed ten year programme,…the locations and order of priority for the various districts (to receive pools) were as follows:
1. Stanley Park; 2 Highwood; 3. West Calgary; 4. Brentwood, 5. Forest Lawn, 6. Lakeview; 7 – Braeside
No Inglewood pool, however.

The Association responded on February 15, 1962 that “The Association has pledged $12,000.00 with another possible $6,000.00 to be raised by the people of the Community…As this Association is the only one in Calgary that has raised money on its own towards a Swimming Pool we feel that we should be given some consideration in the forthcoming budget.”
The February 28, 1962 reply from the Commissioners, as written by “H. Boothman, Superintendent, Parks, Recreation and Cemeteries” was crisp and succinct – “we believe that originally recommended priority program should be followed.”
Still no Inglewood pool.

However, the March 5, 1962 meeting of Council entertained a motion, “Moved by Ald. Farren, seconded by Ald. McIntosh and carried:
That with respect to Clause C-10 of the report of the Commissioners dated February 28, 1962, this Council go on record as being willing to match dollar for dollar any community that raises money toward an approved swimming pool.”
Published by the Inglewood Community Association as a Public Service. 17
Emboldened, the Community Association resorted to its time honored – and successful – strategy of saving the City money by asserting the frugality of a small town, and the common sense wisdom of its inhabitants. (You’ll read later how successful that strategy proved to be, when the Community was threatened by freeways in the ‘70s.)

On one of the first examples of Association letterhead, the following correspondence was sent to the City:
MAIN HALL – 1030 – 9 AVE. S.E. RINK BUILDING – 2329 – 16A ST. S.E.
Inglewood Community Association
CALGARY - ALBERTA
May 23, 1962
Mr. Carl B. Cummer,
City Clerk, Calgary, Alberta
Sir:
Will you please place this letter before the next meeting of Council.
We are writing Council in connection with the need and desire of Inglewood Community to build a swimming pool. We understand that it is City policy to provide half the funds for the construction of an approved pool. We believe we have reached a position where we must request formal city approval for our project. Such approval, if given now, will enable your Commissioner and Parks Department to consult seriously with us on the project and will, we believe, give us the necessary impetus to push our campaign over the top.

We seek your formal approval at this time because the help and agreement of your officials is essential to us.
So far we have tentatively decided on a pool similar to ones built at Taber and to be built at Olds. The size is roughly 40 feet by 82 feet and the cost $75,000.00 to $80,000.00. We have $12,000.00 cash available and have reached one third of the additional goal of $6,000.00. We feel that if we can firm up our plans with the city’s consent that we will then have the necessary authority to raise the balance of our share of the money. What we need now is a firm goal for our canvassers based on a firm commitment from the city. We need a final decision on site. We feel that the pool can be completed for opening in the spring of 1963.

We shall have a representative present at the meeting.
Yours truly,
Martin Blanchard
For W. W. Gaskarth
President, Inglewood Community Association
“In the Interest of Community Spirit”

Not bad for a little old Community Association working out of Firehall No. 3, 1030 – 9 Ave. S.E.
Another summer of trolley trips to other pools in far flung parts of the City ensued, however; and the hazy days of Fall in Inglewood gave way to the crackling air of Winter, as the Rink Building at 2329 – 16A St. S.E. once again offered firmament for frozen fingers and sanctuary for shivering souls.

Then, on December 13, 1962, the following letter sent from the City Clerk warmed the Association even more:
Mr. Jim Cross,
Calgary Brewing and Malting Co. Ltd.,
9 Ave. & 15 St. S.E.,
Calgary, Alberta
Dear Mr. Cross:
At the December 10 Council meeting, the Commissioners reported that you have solved the City’s problem of finding a suitable site for the Inglewood Swimming Pool, by your generous donation of a valuable parcel of land for that purpose.
Council asked that I convey to you their sincere thanks on behalf of the citizens of Calgary and to assure you that this public spirited gesture on your part is very much appreciated.
Yours sincerely,
City Clerk

On March 11, 1963, the following letter from the Acting City Clerk was sent to:
Mrs. Ruby Manson,
Secretary, Inglewood Community Association
Dear Madam:
At the special meeting of Council held on March 8th for the purpose of considering the Current, School and Capital Budgets, the following motion was adopted:
That the contribution of the Inglewood Community Association towards the cost of a swimming pool be reduced to $16,000.00, and that the City pay the balance of the cost of the swimming pool.”
An April 8, 1963 letter from the City of Calgary to Poole Construction Co. indicated that it was awarded the contract to construct the Inglewood Pool, with “the final day of work …set at June 15, 1963.”
Finally, an Inglewood pool was a reality.

The saga ends with a June 7, 1966 letter from the Deputy City Clerk to Armstrong and Taylor Limited regarding insurance coverage of various City buildings. Among the list is “Item 63, the Inglewood Swimming Pool, (which) should be increased by $172,000.00…(as) the pool has recently been enclosed.”

Next month, Inglewood is propelled into the turbulent days of Canada’s Centenary, 1967; and builds a new Hall as a Centennial project. The members then find themselves facing annihilation through the 1969 Calgary Plan.
If you have any recollections, stories, pictures, artifacts or anything else regarding the history of the Inglewood Community Association, please submit them to Joe at the Inglewood Newsletter. He’ll be able to publish them over the next months for the whole Community to enjoy. Thanks, in advance.