Harry Sanders was born in 1966 in Drumheller, Alberta, where his father owned and operated the Whitehouse Hotel. Spending his early youth in and around this old hotel gave Harry a lifelong appreciation for heritage buildings, and this influenced his decision to study history and to follow a career as a local historian.

Harry was educated at the Calgary Hebrew School and Bishop Carroll High School (class of 1984). In 1988 he earned a Batchelor of Arts (First Class Honours) in History at the University of Calgary. His honours thesis dealt with the social role of hotels in early Calgary. During his university years, Harry spent his summers working as an interpreter at Heritage Park.

Harry has worked at the Calgary Public Library, the City of Calgary Archives and the Glenbow Archives. Since 1995 Harry has been a self–employed historical consultant, contract researcher and freelance writer. He has appeared frequently on CBC Radio and contributes to Avenue magazine. He is the author of Watermarks: One Hundred Years of Calgary Waterworks (2000), Calgary's Historic Union Cemetery: A Walking Guide (2002), and The Story Behind Alberta Names: How Alberta's Cities, Towns, Villages and Hamlets Got Their Names (2003).