Firefighters Museum​​​of Calgary
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      • Fire Chief James "Cappy" Smart 1898 - 1933
      • Fire Chief Alexander "Sandy" Carr 1933 - 1943
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James "Cappy" Smart
1898 - 1933

CFD Tug of War Champions, n.d., FMC Collection (Clem Whitbread, Sandy Carr, James Smart, J. Shelley, G. Skene, J. Fitz)
Chief Smart and Officers, 1902, FMC Collection (2016.000.052)
SCOTLAND'S LOSS IS OUR GAIN
Born in Arbroath, Scotland and educated in Dundee, James "Cappy" Smart immigrated to Canada in 1881 at the age of 16, initially toiling as a mortician's apprentice in Winnipeg. He arrived in Calgary two years later on October 19, 1883.

Cappy Smart appears on the volunteer rolls of the original bucket brigade in August 1885 as a ladderman, and rose to the rank of hose captain by 1891. Prior to becoming a full-time firefighter, Cappy worked at many jobs, including lumber jacking, surveying, and prospecting. He also operated Calgary's first undertaking and embalming service, but he sold the business in 1891. Three Smart brothers served with the Calgary Fire Department: James "Cappy" Smart, John (a chemical wagon driver), and Julian (a horse wagon driver) - but Cappy was the standout and became Fire Chief on March 21, 1898.

The blunt-spoken Scot was a formidable leader and provided colourful inspiration to both his men and his adopted community. Seldom did anything happen in Calgary without his involvement or that of his Fire Department. Cappy was the parade marshal for the Calgary Stampede for a record 35 years and also presided as the starter of the annual Calgary Herald Road Race. He was elected to executive positions in several professional organizations and a driving force in the founding of what would eventually become the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs.

Cappy never hesitated to butt heads with City politicians or others he percieved as "stuffed shirts" over any number of issues. A 1904 Calgary Fire Department notation reads: "The present chief of the department, Mr. Jas. Smart, was elected in 1899, and his popularity with the members and citizens generally is so great that there is not much possibility of his kicking out of the harness."

Although Cappy retired in 1933, he was appointed an honorary Fire Prevention Officer thus completing 50 years of service with the Calgary Fire Department. Chief James "Cappy" Smart was laid to rest on July 25, 1939. Cappy proved to be an important link between the past and present, ushering in a progressive era of mechanical technology while steering the Calgary Fire Department toward its community-minded future.  
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  • Welcome
    • Hours of Operation
  • MUSEUM PEOPLE
    • About Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Annual Reports
    • Donors >
      • Financial Supporters
      • New Acquisitions
    • Friends of the Museum
  • Experiences
    • Collections
    • Exhibits >
      • Glimpse of the Guard
      • Origins in Ogden
      • Pomp & Circumstance
      • Head Space
      • Putting out the Fire
      • Pop-Up Gallery
    • Calendar of Events
    • Programs >
      • Art & Artefact
      • Lunch & Learn
      • Museum Mondays
    • Super Saturdays
  • CFD History
    • Chronological Overview >
      • 1800s - The Beginning of CFD
      • 1900s - CFD Turn of the Century
      • 1920s
      • 1930s
      • 1940s
      • 1950s
      • 1960s
      • 1970s
      • 1980s
      • 1990s
      • 2000s and Beyond
    • Fire Hall No. 1 >
      • The Building
      • The Fountain
      • The Murals >
        • Condition Reports >
          • Mural 1
          • Mural 2
          • Mural 3
          • Mural 4
          • Mural 5
          • Mural 6
          • Mural 7
          • Mural 8
          • Mural 9
          • Mural 10
          • Calgary Fires >
            • Nov 7 1886 - 6th Ave
            • Oct 12, 1912 Chinatown Fire
            • ​Jan 12, 1913 Burns Packing Plant Fire
            • Jan 25, 1915 Sherman Roller Rink Fire
            • ​1926 Banff Springs Hotel Fire
            • Oct 25, 1950 Co-op Dairy Barn Fire
            • Dec 16, 1964 The Condon Block Fire
            • May 31, 1965 Chicken-on-the-way Fire
            • Jan 21, 1966 The Michael Building Fire
            • ​Apr 23, 1972 McArthur Furniture Fire
            • 1982 Calgary Fire Dept. on the Set of Superman II
            • Mar 22, 1984 Fire on the Tarmac
            • ​Jul 14, 2000 Pine Lake Tornado
          • Mural 11
        • Inspiration
      • The Firefighters
    • CFD & World War I >
      • The Fallen Four
      • The Simmons Family Album
      • Firefighters Who Went to War
    • The Last Alarm
    • Fire Chiefs >
      • George Constantine 1885
      • Fire Chief Steve Jarrett 1885-1887
      • Fire Chief E. R. Rodgers 1887-1889
      • Fire Chief Frank Dick 1887, 1889-1892
      • Fire Chief James Wilson 1893-1897
      • Fire Chief Hugh McClelland 1897 - 1898
      • Fire Chief James "Cappy" Smart 1898 - 1933
      • Fire Chief Alexander "Sandy" Carr 1933 - 1943
      • Fire Chief Fire John McKinnon 1943 - 1945
      • Fire Chief John Thomas Shelley 1945 - 1950
      • Fire Chief Perry Brooks 1950
      • Fire Chief Ross Kinnear 1950 - 1951
      • Fire Chief George Skene 1951 - 1954
      • Fire Chief Bernard "Barney" Lemieux 1954 - 1964
      • Fire Chief Charles Harrison 1964 - 1972
      • Fire Chief Derek Jackson 1972 - 1979
      • Fire Chief Frank Archer 1979 - 1983
      • Fire Chief Tom Minhinnett 1983 - 1988
      • Fire Chief Jack Ross 1988 - 1999
      • Fire Chief Wayne Morris 1999 - 2005
      • Fire Chief Bruce Burrell 2005 - 2014
      • Fire Chief Steve Dongworth 2015 - Present
    • The Toy Campaign
    • Mascots
    • 365 Days of Firefighting >
      • January
      • February
      • March
      • April
      • May
      • June
      • July
      • August
      • September
      • October
      • November
      • December
  • Support Us
    • THE SHOP
    • Purchase Images
    • Adopt an Artefact
    • Become A Board Member
    • Membership
    • Volunteer
    • Donate
    • Working at CFM
  • KIDSTUFF
    • Firecrackers
    • Where's Embers?
    • Sparky
  • Blog
  • Welcome
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