CALGARY - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 449

MIDNAPORE
The last rest stop for early travelers along the Macleod Trail, linking Fort Macleod
to Fort Calgary, was just south of Fish Creek. A trading post and crude cabins con-
stituted the town. The post office opened and was manned by a postmaster with du-
bious reading skills. One of the first parcels he received was addressed to Midna-
pore, India, and had been misdirected through him. Fear of losing his job kept him
from asking too many questions, and as the community had no official name, he
directed that all mail to this post be addressed to Midnapore. The name stuck, and
a suburb of Calgary came to have the same name as an Indian city on the opposite
side of the world.
West on First Avenue
Eau Claire Market, at the north end of 3rd Street SW, is a colorful indoor market filled
with stalls selling fresh fruit from British Columbia, seafood from the Pacific, Alberta
beef, bakery items, and exotic imports. Under the same roof are specialty shops, an IMAX
and regular theaters, and nine restaurants.
The northern limit of downtown is along the Bow River, where picturesque Prince's
Island Park is linked to the mainland by a bridge at the end of 3rd Street SW. Jogging
paths, tables, and grassy areas are scattered among the trees on this man-made island. To
the east is Centre Street Bridge, guarded on either side by large (restored) stone lions. For
a good view of the city, cross the bridge and follow the trail along the cliff to the west.
MUSEUMS
MM Glenbow Museum
Adjacent to Stephen Avenue Walk, this excellent museum (130 9th Ave. SE, 403/
268-4100, 9am-5pm Mon.-Sat., noon-5pm Sun., adult $17, senior $13, child $10) chron-
icles the entire history of western Canada through three floors of informative exhibits and
well-displayed artifacts. The museum's permanent collections of contemporary and Inuit
art, as well as special exhibitions from national and international collections, are on the
2nd floor. The 3rd-floor “Niitsitapiisinni: Our Way of Life” gallery is the best part of the
museum. Developed under the watchful eye of Blackfoot elders, it details the stories and
traditions of native peoples through interpretive panels and displays of ceremonial arti-