There’s a cool old building in South Calgary we’ve passed a gazillion times but paid little mind, even if we did think it interesting. Then one day, after seeing some century-old homes just a block over getting demolished, comes a cold hard reminder that nothing’s forever. Procrastinating is a slippery slope and with the future always uncertain at best, maybe one day we’ll drive by and see it gone. Time to act. Now where the heck’s the camera?
Here’s a building that still used, an old electrical substation supplying the needs of this section of the city much as it has done for some ninety years. The main structure, made of cast concrete (a fire and explosion mitigation measure), dates from 1930 with an addition from 1959. There’s perhaps hints of Spanish Colonial Revival stylings in the older building, whereas the newer shouts Mid-Century. Love those multi-colour glass blocks. In spite of the architectural differences, it works with those two completely different parts, dare we say, complimenting each other.
While it seems like their future is assured – we found no evidence the city was looking to rid themselves of the pair – the rest of the neighbourhood is going through a dramatic transformation. The gentrification monster is lurking, with trendy condos replacing many find old (and serviceable) homes at an alarming rate. It’s called progress I guess.
Not far away, an old coke machine circa 1960s or thereabouts. The stuff we find in alleys! Remember these as a kid…ten cents, maybe twenty, or a quarter got you a cold one in those old-school glass tall-necks with the pop top. Malaise era car bumpers made good bottle openers.
Short Subjects: reports that for any number of reasons are brief in nature. They might be updates to older articles, previews of posts planned or not yet published, brief snippets of things that don’t fit in anywhere else or subjects that are so obscure that information on them can’t be found. Or sometimes we just ramble on about Lord knows what.
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Date of adventure: April, 2019 Location: Calgary, AB
We took a walk from our house in Bankview this evening with this building as the turnaround point. My oldest boy has become a bit of an Electrical History buff and wanted to check it out. Pretty empty inside. Snapped a few photos. Popped around the back in the alley on the north and surprise! A black and silver Boler was hiding backed up against the building. We also noticed 2 short sections of rail set into the concrete from the alley to the building. We wondered what they may have been for. Our best guess was for moving heavy equipment from the alley over to the big brown door. Interesting building for sure and nice the plaque is still on the front.
Very cool! Yes, we saw those rails and think you are right in that they supported a trolley used to move heavy things about. A Boler? No way! You know what we’ll be doing tonight!
I was in there just before Christmas. It’s a storage facility for the city now. It still has the original floors and a vault in the basement. The windows are very cool.
That could be so. Still, I suspect it was built to serve the entire neighbourhood verses for transit alone. Street cars were running in the area long before the substation came on line so seemingly they already had the power needed.
The Greenhill was the third stop for the Beer Parlour Project and overall we were a bit disappointed with our photos, so we came back a year later. It went far better then. Rob's old style view camera always attracts attention and if you'd like to see what that fellow is looking at, go down to the comments. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
We were in town gathering material for our aborted book (remember that fiasco?), and stopped by. The hotel was closed due to Covid, but we still wanted a look. We understand it's since reopened and if we're in the area again we'll chat with them. It's a nice old building from the late 1920s and looks in decent shape. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
It's that little place along the highway to Fernie and the second venue visited by the project. There's not a level surface or square corner in the whole building and therein lies its character. Love it!
Sadly Len passed on after out visit. His dry wit was legendary in the area and we learned it first hand after mistakenly calling it the Elk Valley Hotel (an unpardonable sin apparently). Got an earful. The business is now closed and its future when we last checked, uncertain. So glad we had the chance and it's a gem of a place. If it ever reopens, we'll be there. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
From the Crossley Slides (unrestored), a nice 1954 view of the Kootenay National Park Gates in Radium BC. "The Mountains Shall Bring Peace to the People" - amen! You know we'll be making a Then & Now from this one when were in that area next.
Shout out to: Jason Sailer _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
Aneroid SK 83 years apart! ONE building from the old photo remains today. Photo in the comments + more below 👇
Then & Now: Standing on the same spot and shooting the same angle.
The original photo is thanks to he Everett Baker Collection at the Saskatchewan History & Folklore Society. Everett captured thousand of images in the province (see: https://everettbakerslides.smugmug.com/) and even lived in Aneroid for a time.
The people in front of the Aneroid Hotel (right) are listed as Vic Card and Tom March. This building burned down in 1953. The yellow building on the left (our photo) on closer examination does appear in Everett's image. It's the last one from the old photo. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
We took a walk from our house in Bankview this evening with this building as the turnaround point. My oldest boy has become a bit of an Electrical History buff and wanted to check it out. Pretty empty inside. Snapped a few photos. Popped around the back in the alley on the north and surprise! A black and silver Boler was hiding backed up against the building. We also noticed 2 short sections of rail set into the concrete from the alley to the building. We wondered what they may have been for. Our best guess was for moving heavy equipment from the alley over to the big brown door. Interesting building for sure and nice the plaque is still on the front.
Very cool! Yes, we saw those rails and think you are right in that they supported a trolley used to move heavy things about. A Boler? No way! You know what we’ll be doing tonight!
That is a neat looking building
Sure is!
Nice. I’ve never seen this building.
It’s nice, eh?
I always drive by this building and have snapped a few shots myself and wondered what it was because it didnt look like a house like what is beside it
Both buildings are part of the substation, the brown one a latter addition.
It has a neat look to it. I like the shape of the windows and slightly fancy facade. Are those little lights on the face of the brown building?
It’s charming in its own right. Those are coloured glass blocks lit from the inside.
I was in there just before Christmas. It’s a storage facility for the city now. It still has the original floors and a vault in the basement. The windows are very cool.
That’s awesome, thanks for sharing this!
When I glanced at your post I thought the white building was a home. Nice that it is still functioning.
That would be one indestructible house!
It was built for the street car system.
That could be so. Still, I suspect it was built to serve the entire neighbourhood verses for transit alone. Street cars were running in the area long before the substation came on line so seemingly they already had the power needed.
Seems often older is better.
Not always in every case, but mostly so! Haha.
Nice Art Deco building.
It’s simple, yet elegant.