Images of Development

The story of Alberta’s development is reflected in the buildings from each historical period.

The inhabitants of what was to become Alberta constructed tipis.

The first settlers used logs and sod to build their homes. Logs and lumber, often cut by hand, were used to build the first forts that traders and the North West Mounted Police used.

Because steam-powered sawmills provided lumber for construction, more elaborate houses were built. Later, bricks were made from local sources of clay. Sandstone provided the material for government buildings, including the Legislature.

New and advanced ways of building appeared with the use of iron and steel, as reinforced concrete allowed skyscrapers, including glass-faced ones, to be constructed. Other buildings used these materials to create decorative geometric shapes or curving walls.