The Big Four were the wealthy Alberta cattlemen
Patrick Burns,
George Lane,
A. E. Cross and
Archibald J. McLean.
Together they founded the
Calgary Stampede, as well as other cultural and entrepreneurial activities in
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
,
Alberta,
Canada 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
Alberta's cattle industry.
Calgary Stampede
In the summer of 1912, the Big Four were approached by cowboy
Guy Weadick with the proposal for a wild west show that would ''"make
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, Bison hunting, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa, Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but ...
's Wild West Extravaganza look like a sideshow."''
They each put up $25,000 to finance the first
Calgary Stampede 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
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
was named for the four businessmen, and once held the largest
curling rink in the world.
Political careers
*A.E. Cross was elected in 1898 as a Conservative member of the
Legislative Assembly of Alberta ("MLA") for the riding of Calgary East.
*Archie McLean was first elected as a Liberal MLA for the
Lethbridge
Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 101,482 in its 2019 Alberta municipal censuses, 2019 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...
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. 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
The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada.
The Senate is modelled after the B ...
in 1931 by his close friend
R. B. Bennett
Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett, (July 3, 1870 – June 26, 1947), was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, philanthropist, and politician who served as the 11th prime minister of Canada from 1930 to 1935.
Bennett was born in ...
, then
Prime Minister of Canada. 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.
*Senator Patrick Burns Junior High School was named for Pat Burns
*Mount Burns,
a peak in
Kananaskis Country.
*
Burns Building
The Burns Building is a historic six-story building located in downtown Calgary, Alberta. It sits at 237-8th Ave. S.E. on the end of Stephen Avenue overlooking Olympic Plaza and City Hall.
History
The building was commissioned by meat baron Pa ...
See also
*
Big Four Big Four or Big 4 may refer to:
Groups of companies
* Big Four accounting firms: Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, PwC
* Big Four (airlines) in the U.S. in the 20th century: American, Eastern, TWA, United
* Big Four (banking), several groupings ...
(disambiguation)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Big Four (Calgary)
History of Alberta
Businesspeople from Alberta
Quartets
Rodeo promoters and managers
Rodeo in Canada
Canadian cattlemen