Deerfoot
The freeway opened in 1971 as the Blackfoot Trail Freeway. In 1974 it was renamed in honour of Deerfoot, a Siksika Nation (Blackfoot) long-distance runner of the late 19th century known for his exceptional speed. That is as much as our secondary source, the Wikipedia article on the road, states in its summary, and it is as much as this note will claim. The hotel took the name of the road; the road took the name of the man.
There is a quiet irony in the arrangement. A route named for a runner is now Alberta's busiest road, carrying over 151,000 vehicles a day at its busiest point. At the posted 100 km/h it takes under half an hour to drive end to end in the middle of the night. At rush hour, a long-distance runner would be competitive.
Calf Robe Bridge
At kilometre 25.4 of Deerfoot Trail, the freeway crosses the Bow River on the Calf Robe Bridge, named after a Siksika Nation elder. Drivers heading from the hotel towards downtown cross it a few minutes after leaving exit 240. Most never notice the sign.
Ivor Strong Bridge
Closer to the hotel, at kilometre 18.0, the Ivor Strong Bridge crosses the Bow. It carries the name of John Ivor Strong, chief commissioner of Calgary until 1971. It is also at the centre of the current upgrade programme, which plans to twin it.
Barlow Trail
The hotel's own street remembers a different history. Barlow Trail is named after Noel Barlow of Carseland, Alberta, who served as ground crewman to Douglas Bader, the Royal Air Force fighter pilot of the Second World War. Before Deerfoot was built, Barlow Trail carried Highway 2 traffic into Calgary from the north. Today its southern section is a short arterial from Deerfoot near 130 Avenue SE to Peigan Trail, and the hotel sits beside it.
The land the road crosses
The hotel's website carries a land acknowledgement that names Moh'kinsstis and the traditional Treaty 7 territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy — Siksika, Kainai and Piikani — as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut'ina nations, and the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3. Reading it alongside the road names makes the point that the map around the hotel is older than the freeway.
What this note does not do
It does not tell Deerfoot's life story, because our sources for it are secondary and brief. Anyone interested should look for histories written by or with the Siksika Nation rather than rely on a road guide.
Sources
Wikipedia articles "Deerfoot Trail" and "Barlow Trail", read 31 October 2026; the land acknowledgement on deerfootinn.com.