The Big Four were the wealthy Alberta cattlemen Patrick Burns, George Lane,

A. E. Cross Alfred Ernest Cross (June 26, 1861 – March 10, 1932) was a Canadian politician, rancher and brewer, known as one of the Big Four who founded the Calgary Stampede in 1912. Early life Born in Montreal, Cross was the oldest of seven children. ...

and

Archibald J. McLean Archibald James McLean (September 25, 1860 – October 13, 1933) was a cattleman and politician from Ontario, Canada. He was one of the Big Four who helped found the Calgary Stampede in 1912. Biography Archibald McLean was born September ...

. Together they founded the

Calgary Stampede The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition, and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", attracts over one million visitors per year and featu ...

, as well as other cultural and entrepreneurial activities in Calgary,

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

in the early years of the 20th century. George Lane and A.J. McLean were ranchers, Pat Burns owned a meat packing business and A.E. Cross was a brewery owner. All four men were involved in

's cattle industry.

Calgary Stampede

In the summer of 1912, the Big Four were approached by cowboy

Guy Weadick George Guy Weadick (February 23, 1885 – December 13, 1953) was an American cowboy, performer and promoter. Today, he is best known as the founder of the Calgary Stampede in Alberta, Canada. He was married to famed cowgirl, Florence LaDue. Wead ...

with the proposal for a wild west show that would ''"make Buffalo Bill's Wild West Extravaganza look like a sideshow."'' They each put up $25,000 to finance the first

held in September 1912. The event has grown since to more than $1.8 million in prize money, and attracts more than one million visitors yearly. The ''Big Four Building'' at the Stampede Grounds in Calgary was named for the four businessmen, and once held the largest

curling Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns slidi ...

rink in the world.

Political careers

*A.E. Cross was elected in 1898 as a Conservative member of the

Legislative Assembly of Alberta The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is the deliberative assembly of the province of Alberta, Canada. It sits in the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton. The Legislative Assembly currently has 87 members, elected first past the post from sin ...

("MLA") for the riding of Calgary East. *Archie McLean was first elected as a Liberal MLA for the Lethbridge constituency in 1909. He served as minister of municipal affairs, and as minister of public works. *George Lane was elected to be a member in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1913 for the Bow Valley riding on behalf of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

. He held the position for less than a year; resigning his seat so that defeated party leader Charles R. Mitchell could re-gain a place in the legislature. *Patrick Burns was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 1931 by his close friend R. B. Bennett, then

Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the confidence of a majority the elected House of Commons; as su ...

. Burns sat in the senate as an independent until 1936.

Legacy

*A.E. Cross Junior High School was named for A.E. Cross. A.E. Cross, together with Pat Burns and George Lane, as well as other prominent local figures, also funded the creation of

Western Canada High School Western Canada High School (WCHS) is a public senior high school in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has classes for grades 10 through 12. Western is located in the 17th Avenue business district of the Lower Mount Royal community, and is the most cen ...

. *Senator Patrick Burns Junior High School was named for Pat Burns *Mount Burns, a peak in

Kananaskis Country Kananaskis Country is a multi-use area west of Calgary, Alberta, Canada in the foothills and front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. The area is named for the Kananaskis River, which was named by John Palliser in 1858 after a Cree acquaintance. Cove ...

. * Burns Building

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Big Four (Calgary) History of Alberta Businesspeople from Alberta Quartets Rodeo promoters and managers Rodeo in Canada Canadian cattlemen

Calgary Stampede

Political careers

Legacy

See also

References