- Your Library
- Connect
- Events & Programs
- Read, Learn & Explore
The Historian in Residence is a six-month paid residency that supports individual researchers working in any genre related to the social, cultural and built history of Calgary, Treaty 7 and Métis Region 3.
They deliver free programs and act as a mentor to historians, writers, and researchers through individual consultations, and curate an exhibit at Central Library.
Presented in partnership with Heritage Calgary.
C.W. (Cory) Gross is a professional educator with over 20 years of experience in museums and heritage. His primary field is the geology of Western Canada and its intersection with Indigenous, settler, and immigrant histories. In early 2020 he published his first book, The Ice Age in Western Canada.
C.W. Gross believes that there is no clear line between history and prehistory. Natural and cultural history are closer than we imagine, because our shared histories, cultures, and economies are ultimately shaped by the land and its resources. This is especially true of a city like Calgary that is built of sandstone, fuelled by the natural resource industry, and a stone’s throw from some of the most famous geological and palaeontological sites in the world. Whereas the typical work of the historian is the social, cultural, and built histories of a community, a “Prehistorian-in-Residence” studies the underlying landscape, geology, climate, resources, fossils, flora and fauna that formed the literal groundwork for these histories. His work will strive to enrich Calgarians’ understanding of the natural forces that shaped our community through talks and local tours, culminating in a “Calgary’s prehiStory” exhibit of natural and cultural history objects at the Calgary Public Library.
Book a one-on-one virtual appointment with C.W. (Cory) Gross, Historian in Residence. Cory is a professional educator with over 20 years of experience in museums and heritage. His primary field is the geology of Western Canada and its intersection with Indigenous, settler, and immigrant histories. During his residency Cory will be researching the natural and cultural history of Calgary's building stones, particularly our famous sandstone, and would be happy to discuss this or answer any other questions you may have.
C.W. is available for one-on one virtual consultations:
Tuesdays, 5:00 – 7:00pm
Thursdays, 5:00 –7:00pm
To book a one-hour consultation, please use the calendar booking link.
Attend online programs with C.W. Gross during his residency. Registration is available online.
Southern Alberta is one of the most beautiful, sublime, and awe-inspiring places on Earth. From Indigenous peoples to pioneering settlers to recent immigrants to tourists saving an entire lifetime for a single visit, how we relate to this landscape is one of the defining features of our culture. The following books, recommended by 2021 Historian in Residence C.W. Gross, share the fascinating stories of Alberta’s rocks, fossils, landscapes, wildlife, and how they have shaped who we are.
