Bowness High School is a school rich in history, memories and achievements over
the decades. Since it's opening in the Easter of 1956, Bowness has been a place
of change and development. The community of Bowness was not annexed into the
City of Calgary until sometime in the early 1960's. Before that, Bowness served
as a Junior and Senior high school for the town of Bowness. All of the feeder
communities which provide students to Bowness, such as Silver Springs and Scenic
Acres, began to take shape in the mid-to-late 1970's, during the oil boom of
Calgary. Later joined by Arbour Lake, and even newer communities such as
Tuscany. The Trojan Spirit here at Bowness has remained the same though, through
the ages of the hippies, Generation X and present.
Community History
The Bowness community is now a part of the modern city of Calgary, Alberta in Canada. Before it was annexed to the city, Bowness began as a ranch around 1896 with only the railroad track and twin bridges to change its peaceful ways until the real-estate boom of 1911 brought wealthy Englishmen and their money into the valley.
Long before 1911, during the glacial age, Bowness was being built on an
ancient river bottom. Sea shells from eons past have been found in local gravel
pits. Digging of sewer lines uncovered the bones of prehistoric animals and one
bone in particular was identified as the tusk of a primitive elephant brought
down during the last ice age, at least 50,000 years ago. Indian artifacts have
also been found all through the valley.
The origin of the name 'Bowness' is not clearly defined. However, several
possible explanations exist. Land titles dated at the end of the 1800's and
early 1900's refer to Bowness Ranch. Another hypothesis is that the origin of
the name had to do with the large "S" which the Bow River makes through the
valley. (Information copied from "Golden Jubilee Bowness 1911-1961--50 Years of
Growth").
