Colonel James Walker (1846-1936) was an influential pioneer, military officer and founding citizen of Calgary, Alberta.
Walker's first military service was in 1866 when at age 18 he took a three-month officer training course in Toronto conducted by the 2nd Battalion of the 17th Regiment of Foot.
In 1873 while taking gunnery instruction at Kingston, he drew the attention of Lieutenant-colonel George Arthur French, a founder of the North-West Mounted Police due to his effectiveness at handling both men and horses, French convinced Walker to become one of the original commissioned officers of the North-West Mounted Police.
Walker took part in the famous March West in 1874 which paved the way for European settlement of what is now Saskatchewan and Alberta.
[2] Walker's reasonable treatment of the First Nations population gained him disfavour in Ottawa but was instrumental in keeping the peace between those peoples and the white settlers.
[1] Walker chaired Calgary's "Citizen's Committee" (elecfed in 1883),[3] established a school district for Calgary, chaired the school board, directed the first general hospital and sat as president of several pioneer and police veteran associations between 1885 and 1919.