This post is originally from 2014 and presented in that context: It appears time is running out for the 100 year old Eastern (Deutsch-Canadier) Block on busy MacLeod Trail near downtown Calgary. Neglected and showing its age, the building has been vacated and boarded up recently.
The future is uncertain but demolition is likely and signs posted on many doorways seem to suggest that will be the outcome. They state the building is unsound and this could only mean one thing. Bye-bye. But the real estate market is also hot, so even if not falling down, it was likely to go anyway. Update: it happened, but took a few years, and now there’s a towering condo block here.
Eastern (Deutsch-Canadier) Block: it’s now history. Back in time with Chris Doering & Connie Biggart (BIGDoer/Synd)
Thanks to “Margaret Nemeth” for sponsoring this and many other pages at BIGDoer.com – big hugs for you! Be like Margaret…
An old house located right behind and appearing to be owned by the same individual or group, is also boarded up and must similarly be on the endangered list. Update: correct and it got demolished too.
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This post is one of those older articles lost in the great BIGDoer.com crash of 2024. Rather than simply restore from backups as is, we’ve given it a makeover. Still, we kept it as originally written and so it’s presented here as an old post in a new wrapper.
The Eastern (Deutsch-Canadier) Block dates back to 1912, but some reports cite 1910. The city’s own website, at the time of the original report anyway, said the date is unknown and that happens once in a while. It’s just so old that records may have gone missing. No matter which year, it came on the scene during one of Calgary’s biggest building booms.
The building held title as one of the first business blocks constructed outside the downtown core. The area around was mostly residential at the time, although close to the the Warehouse Business District a few short blocks away.
The main floor, when built, among other businesses, housed a multi-language publisher (with emphasis on German). The firm Der Deutsch Canadian Limited, produced two German language periodicals, “Der Deutsch-Canadier” and “Deutsch-Canadisher”. These were a general newspaper and farm style journal respectively. This firm also named the Deutsch-Canadier Block, but this moniker wouldn’t stick for long.
Anti-German sentiment during World War One forced the publisher to close, although by then they had moved to another location anyway. With that, the building took on the current name, the Eastern Block and it remained this to the end.
The Eastern/Deutsch-Canadier Block is in the Edwardian Commercial style common to the era, especially for factories and business blocks. Buildings of this type could be elaborate and ornate, or in many cases, fairly plain as we see here. It’s rather utilitarian and business like.
Large windows and open spaces were a common design element no matter the outward design. Recessed entryways to businesses also seemed a common design element.
As was typical for these types of buildings and of the time, the upper floor was used for apartments. Just for fun, we looked up the residential tenants in a 1945 Henderson’s Directory we had handy and it lists the following in eight suites…
#1 Con Befus, #2 Mrs Mary Smithers, #3 AC Wardell, #4 John Kanervan, #5 Floyd Woolf, and occupying #6 through #8(?), Burrell Wolsey. City records mention there were once nine units, but perhaps two were later combined. These remained in use till the building permanently closed.
We’ve heard from former tenants over the years, and they gave us an earful. They called it (variously) drafty, dusty, a dump, scary, haunted, bug infested, soul-crushing, a crack house and usually with an expletive in front. But they all admitted it was cheap and so it seems most faults were begrudgingly accepted.
At various times (after the German publisher moved out) many grocery stores, a meat shop, pharmacies and countless other enterprises utilized the main floor.
In recent memory, a book and collectible shop occupied one end of the building and remnants of their sign remains. Other recent tenants included a Geeks Squad-ish computer repair outlet and a physic reader. One has to ponder if this person saw the building’s demise in the cards? Signs from these former firms can still be seen.
The place is clearly run down and has been in that state for quite some time. In the 1990s, when Chris your author drove truck, I delivered a load of pipe here and got to go deep inside the bowels of the building. Talk about a…well…seriously grimy, filthy depressing hell-hole. There’s no point mincing words and it sucked on every level. The spiders especially.
The city does not consider it historically or architectural significant, but not every old building can carry this designation. No one loves it and that’s kind of sad, but not everything is forever.
Old photos show time has sort of stood still for the Deutsch-Canadier (Eastern) Block and it’s little changed since built. Today, a portion of the front façade above the second floor windows is missing, but otherwise it looks much as it did.
For many years now the south facing wall has been used as an ersatz (clever German-word placement here) billboard. One featuring Einstein extoling the virtues of a nearby condo complex is recalled and in place for some time. He must be spinning in his grave on being portrayed as a sell-out shilling trendy accommodations.
The day of our visit, a big blue ad pushing a financial investment scheme occupied the space.
MacLeod Trail passes right in front of the Eastern (Deutsch-Canadier) Block but we wonder how many people driving by, thousands per day, even notice the building? Not many we bet. Everyone’s life is too hectic and busy to pay an old, insignificant place like this any mind.
When constructed, present day MacLeod Trail was called 2nd Street East. The historic version of MacLeod Trail, until the 1960s, was actually located east of the core and in the community of Ramsay. Present day Macleod in this location is a busy road and a main artery into the downtown core. Along here’s it’s the northbound lane and southbound is a block to the west. We had to wait for breaks in the traffic to capture our shots.
The old house behind the Deutsch-Canadier (Eastern) Block dates from 1905 and was occupied until recently. Historians refer to it as the Vicary Residence in reference to a person who lived there for a time. “From 1915-1942 the Vicary Residence was occupied by William Vicary, who worked for the CPR in senior positions including Depot Master and Yard Master and retired in 1931.” Victoria Park Building Survey.
While we explored it on an earlier visit in February, a person claiming to be the owner, came out and spoke to us. It looks like they were prepping to move. However, he had little to say about what the future holds in store for this old dwelling and it’s neighbour the Eastern (Deutsch-Canadier) Block. Maybe they didn’t know for sure.
It doesn’t take a genius (clever Einstein reference) to see the whole city block is under threat. The condo monster is hungry and must be appeased.
The area around remained mostly residential (single family dwellings) well into the 1970s and ’80s and even until recently a few scattered homes were located within sight of the Eastern (Deutsch-Canadier) Block. The Vicary House is one of the last such dwellings in the area and isn’t it funny how things have come full circle?
People are moving back to this part of Victoria Park neighbourhood but the dwelling of choice today is condos. Update: There’s many more here now since we shot the piece – all shiny and reaching up to the sky. Lots of coffee places too, and many out of our price-range shops.
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Date of adventure: February and March, 2014. Location: Calgary, Alberta (Victoria Park Neighbourhood). Article references: City of Calgary, old Calgary Phone Books and Henderson Directories.
(A long read) After twelve years it's time to put a face to the name and come clean on something. That's rarely-seen Chris in the photo, one half of Team BIGDoer, my best friend for almost thirty years and orchestrator of everything you see here. For his entire adult life, he's battled a deep depression.
Mostly it's manageable, but there are extended bouts where it's crippling and his life comes to a grinding halt. Sometimes there are days or weeks where he's lost. Sleep does not come easy at this time and further aggravates the issue. As he ages, it's worsening and seems intent on destroying him from the inside.
If you see a lack of posts here, or ones poorly worded, confusing or simply off, it's from one of these periods.
Through all this, he remains as kind, thoughtful and loving as ever, but is somewhere else. To the family, it's just Chris and accepted as it should be. The kids and grandkids adore him no less. Until today, however, this has been hidden from the outside world, although closer friends and some readers were probably already suspect of his condition. I hope admitting this does not break the site.
He finds clarity when we're out and doing things, hiking or documenting something historic and it's only THE reason this page and our website exists. It's therapy. Then he's a new and passionate person, but the monster as he calls it always returns. The Beer Parlour Project has brought out a side I've never seen and when out in the field he's never been so on point and confident.
This post is not for sympathy but to inform. Just so you know where he is and here's what you can do to help (a last ditch request)...
If you see a missed comma or oddly worded sentence in a post, please be kind. You'll probably see his uncertainty when he's off and be nice there too. But if you like what you see, even if the write up could be presented better, post your encouragement. Say something and say it loud...it's important and will keep him sharing. Help Chris get better by cheering him on.
Other than some photos that are mine, everything else comes from him. All the tiring research and the writing (he admits he's NOT a writer), are his.
Chris puts every dollar he makes into this "project of a lifetime", and it's supplemented by donations from readers who enjoy the content. If you want to help...
Admittedly he was not thrilled with the idea of posting this but agrees it probably should be said, even if it makes him uneasy. He doesn't like appearing in photos either. He's so shy, thinks he looks goofy and hates his husky eyes. I love them and they're windows into a wonderful, complex and quiet, but tortured soul. It breaks my heart when he's in a bad space.
This image comes thanks to photographer Arturo Pianzola and was captured while exploring the historic Riverview Mental Hospital in Coquitlam BC. Chris thought since he was in the area last year, he'd stop by to visit with a grandfather he never really knew, who spent his last years at the facility and is buried on the grounds.
Thanks for listening and your understanding. Hopefully we'll see you next week. Johanna (Connie).
Journey of Natty Gann (Disney 1985) and the same location in the Crowsnest Pass 2014. We're visiting the Pass over the new year, as we often do, and this time we'll be staying at a house that appears (briefly) in the film. How cool, eh? Chris has decided it's time on this visit to reshoot this and other Natty Gann comparison shots we did from ten years ago. Stay tuned!
This scene was shot in historic downtown Coleman and shows the former Holyk's Grocery. It was built in the early 1900s and the store closed in the '60s. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Johanna (Connie).
From 2015. Rob Pohl and his strange old-style view camera joined us in documenting the Laing House (with permission). Head down to the comments to see an amazing coincidence with something I found inside.
From the Crossley slides, it's an undated view of Towers School, out near Cluny Alberta. It was originally called Swastika School but that's before the word and symbol were ruined by negative connotations. Built 1922. Gone? _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
The same alley in downtown Calgary's west end, in the 1970s & today. You have to look hard to see the connection! The area was quite run down back then and is in stark contrast to all the shiny condo towers seen present day. Calgary Place West, an apartment block, appears in both images although it's barely a sliver in ours. Check the comments for more info.
Photo credit: James Tworow collection. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
Lost highways (2022): a section of old #93 in Southeastern BC. That BIGDoer-mobile is gone now but quite famous and had a following of its own. Old mine roads, cow paths, 4x4ing across fields - no problem and people would recognize us out in remote areas just by this car. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
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