President's update

[cjane]

Historic Calgary Week 2010:

I hope everyone had time to enjoy at least one event during Historic Calgary Week 2010. CHI hosted walking tours of 7th Avenue East and West, and we’re already starting to plan for next year. A special thanks to everyone who helped make these tours a success. This includes the research committee: Penelope Arcos, Laura Pasacreta and Kerri Rubman, Our guest speakers: Darryl Cariou, Neil Richardson and David Down, and the Board members who helped as binder wranglers, sweepers and photographers.

Here is a list of upcoming events for the CHI community:

Upcoming events:
August 22 – Final tour of the Connaught neighbourhood with the Lougheed House.
August 19 - CHI board meeting at 6pm to finalize AGM followed by general heritage talk at the Hop in Brew.

September 12 – Walking Tour for the Haultain and First Street Festival. Meet at 2:30 at the Drum stage. Please let me know if you’re available to help. This tour will likely only be about an hour long.
September 30 – October 2: Heritage Canada Foundation conference in St John’s Newfoundland. Is anyone planning to attend?
September 29-30: Albert Municipal Heritage Forum. Sessions on the 30th will take place at the Arrata Opera Centre.

October 27-30: Austin, Texas National Preservation Conference.

November 5-7: One Book One Calgary Heritage Weekend hosted by the Public Library

Also, keep an eye out for the next Heritage Roundtable, coming to a Calgary community hall this fall!

Have a great week,

Cheers,
Cynthia

[cjane]

FINALLY – the Heritage Canada Foundation released its top ten endangered list for 2010 and the Calgary Brewery and Malting Co. is one of the featured sites. For a complete list of sites, check out the Foundation’s web site at: .

There was media coverage in the Herald, as well as on the CBC. Links to these news items can be found in Brewery news thread on the CHI web site: .

The CBC story generated good discussion. Take a read through some of the commentary and add your own to keep the conversation going!

Upcoming events:
August 22 1pm – Final tour of the Connaught neighbourhood with the Lougheed House.
August 19 6pm - CHI board meeting at 6pm to finalize AGM followed by general heritage talk at the Hop in Brew.

September 12 2:30pm – Walking Tour for the Haultain and First Street Festival. Please let me know if you’re available to help. This tour will likely be about an hour long.
September 30 – October 2: Heritage Canada Foundation conference in St John’s Newfoundland. Is anyone planning to attend?
September 29-30: Alberta Municipal Heritage Forum. Sessions on the 30th will take place at the Arrata Opera Centre (old Wesley Church).

October 27-30: Austin, National Preservation Conference

November 5-7: One Book One Calgary Heritage Weekend hosted by the Public Library

Also, keep an eye out for the next Heritage Roundtable; date and time still TBA.

Have a great week,

Cheers,
Cynthia

[cjane]

Some interesting points to ponder from the Architectural Conservancy in Ontario:



Seems that small towns in Ontario are not having much success on maintaining their built heritage. It’s actually a pretty depressing read, and makes me realize that maybe Calgary isn’t so bad off after all! Picton is a great little town in Prince Edward county, which has become the new “it” place (after Niagara) for big city dwellers to enjoy a taste of the country. Yes, there are wineries and lots of great places for foodies too.

On a happier note, Maureen Hodgan, a local urbanist and CHI member, writes about the new Peace bridge in her latest blog. . I talked to Maureen a few weeks ago about built heritage and the role that CHI plays in advocacy.

Upcoming events:

August 22 1pm – Final tour of the Connaught neighbourhood with the Lougheed House. Kristi and Roz will be helping me out, and Rich will be there from the house too.

September 10 11:30 – Calgary Heritage Authority meeting in the Legal traditions boardroom at city hall.
September 12 2:30pm – Walking Tour for the Haultain and First Street Festival. Please let me know if you’re available to help. This tour will likely be about an hour long.
September 30 – October 2: Heritage Canada Foundation conference in St John’s Newfoundland. With the recent news, we need a CHI-ite to be there!
September 29-30: Albert Municipal Heritage Forum. Sessions on the 30th will take place at the Arrata Opera Centre.

October 27-30: Austin, National Preservation Conference

November 5-7: One Book One Calgary Heritage Weekend hosted by the Public Library

Have a great week,

Cheers,
Cynthia

[cjane]

My week was so full of CHI and work that I had to take the night off yesterday, hence the delay in this week’s update.

CHI Week: August 22-27
• On Sunday Chi hosted our final neighbourhood tour around the Lougheed House. A smaller tour group meant more opportunities for conversation about the area, and we do look forward to working with the House again next season.
• The next day, Monday, CHI was approached by Shaw TV to provide commentary on the state of Heritage conservation in Calgary. I did a little interview with them (using Stephen Ave as a backdrop ) and it aired the next day for 24 hours.
• Tuesday I had lunch with Blane Hogue, Executive Director of Lougheed House. He kindly offered use of the House’s boardroom for our monthly board meetings – so no more beer or wine spilled onto our meeting notes!
• The next day I walked around downtown on my lunch break and did some investigation into the location and theme for our October AGM. I hope to have an update on that for you next week.
• CHI has a new opportunity to provide an internship to a U of C student. I met with a candidate after work on Thursday and bringing her on board will help us to expand our network and relationship with the University.
• To top the week off, I had a meeting yesterday about Doors Open Calgary. Thanks to Alderman Joe Ceci, this finally has the attention of city council and the municipal support that has been missing to make it happen. So what is Doors Open, and why doesn’t Calgary have it if Edmonton and Banff are regular participants? Well, take a look at the Doors Open Alberta website: .

Other Stuff:
Some other sites and links for your leisure-time surfing:
• . You can subscribe to Catherine’s bi-weekly news link, an assemblage of heritage-related news focused on Ontario, but also with links to other items across the country. The news about the recent destruction of a church in Picton is quite disconcerting, and underscores the role we all play as stewards of our built heritage.
• If you’re interested in furthering your built heritage studies, checkout the courses offered by U Vic’s cultural resource management department. . There’s a couple I’ve got my eye on.

CHI to you,
Cynthia

[cjane]

Last night some of us got out to enjoy First Thursday – the monthly open house of Calgary’s Cultural District () - and found this great party in the alleyway beside The Grand Theatre downtown. Theatre Junction () was kicking off their 20th anniversary season, and had a DJ and dance floor going in what is usually an overlooked and under-utilized public space. I'm looking out for that next back-alley event!

Speaking of events – coming up this fall:

September 10 11:30 – Calgary Heritage Authority meeting in the Legal traditions boardroom at city hall.
September 12 2:30pm – Walking Tour for the Haultain and First Street Festival. We start and end at the Drum & Monkey at the corner of 1st and 12 Ave. Let me know if you’re available to help out for about an hour.
September 13 7pm: CHI Board meeting at Lougheed House
September 30 – October 2: Heritage Canada Foundation conference in St John’s Newfoundland.
September 29-30: Albert Municipal Heritage Forum. Sessions on the 30th will take place at the Arrata Opera Centre.

October 26 or 27: CHI AGM. Details to follow.
October 27-30: Austin, National Preservation Conference

November 5-7: One Book One Calgary Heritage Weekend hosted by the Public Library

Keep an eye out for the next Heritage Roundtable coming soon to a community centre near you.

Have a great week,

Cheers,
Cynthia

[cjane]

At the Calgary Heritage Authority (CHA) meeting today, representatives from CADA and the Stampede were present to talk about their bid campaign to have Calgary named Cultural Capital of Canada. They’re looking for ideas from the Heritage community, so if you’ve got one, or two, or more points of inspiration you can post them to .

They’re also looking for volunteers for their advisory panel of 100, and you can apply on-line at .

Artcity Festival starts today and runs until September 19. This annual celebration of visual art, architecture and design includes lectures, podcasts and tours. The events are listed at .

CHI things to remember:

September 12: 2:30pm – Walking Tour for the Haultain and First Street Festival. We start and end at the Drum & Monkey at the corner of 1st and 12 Ave.
September 13: 7pm – CHI board meeting at Lougheed House
September 29-30: Alberta Municipal Heritage Forum. Sessions on the 30th take place at the Arrata Opera Centre.
September 30 – October 2: Heritage Canada Foundation conference in St John’s Newfoundland.

October 27: CHI AGM at the Chinese Cultural Centre. Guest speakers are Ray Lee, founding member of the Sien Lok Society, and Kim Fung, curator of the “Builders & Patriots” exhibit.
October 27-30: Austin, National Preservation Conference

November 5-7: One Book One Calgary Heritage Weekend hosted by the Public Library

Keep an eye out for the next Heritage Roundtable coming soon to a community centre near you.

Have a great week,

Cheers,
Cynthia

[cjane]

After wandering around Spain for just over two weeks and marvelling at massive cathedrals, Moorish palaces and Roman ruins CHI’s efforts to protect and maintain Calgary’s 50-100 year old history may seem quaint. Yet the problems and issues facing heritage sites around the world are remarkably similar. Most importantly, who gives voice to a building or site to tell its stories and makes sure that the past is protected for the future?

In Barcelona’s Museu D’Historia De Barcelona () the layers of history are peeled back for the visitor through a series of archaeological digs beneath a building that itself is centuries old. The museum includes in situ remnants of the original Roman settlement and then takes visitors through the excavated accretions of buildings and modifications that have occurred through time. Although most of the original Roman walls and buildings are built over, around and through, the subsequent structures carry their own history and stories of equal importance. It’s a wonderful museum for exploring Barcelona’s 2,000+ year old built heritage, and displays the conundrum intrinsic to all heritage preservation: what to keep, what to restore, and what to leave in its current state.

I also kept an eye out for adaptive re-use, and was surprised by the propensity to façade-ism. This is the idea of keeping the exterior of an existing structure while upgrading the interior. Our hotel in Seville was a classic example. Our room had all of the modern amenities, including a whirlpool tub, yet the ceiling above, elaborately painted and carved wooden-beams, appeared to be the original – likely some 500 years old. The contrast of old and new was enough to make your head spin at night when you laid your head down on the pillow, although some of the spinning may be attributed to one or two (too many?) glasses of Sangria.

While I was enjoying cerveza and sangria in Spain, back in Canada, our Vice President Bob Van Wegen attended the Heritage Canada Foundation conference in St. John’s Newfoundland (see if you can spot him in the picture of the opening reception: ). He was there representing CHI and our nomination of the City of Calgary for the annual Prince of Wales prize, for which the city received an honourable mention. CHI has had a delegate at this conference since 2006 and we look forward to continuing to network with our Heritage colleagues across the country.

CHI dates to remember:

October 18: Election day for the city of Calgary. Make sure your voice is heard.
October 18, 7pm: Next CHI Board Meeting at the Lougheed House
October 22, 5:30pm: Heritage Matters: Historic Preservation the Cowboy Way, at the Calgary Public Library. Sponsored by the Calgary Heritage Authority, and the City of Calgary Land Use Planning and Policy learn about the challenges, successes, and failures in historic preservation with Darryl Cariou, the City's Senior Heritage Planner. You can register online at calgarypubliclibrary.com or by calling 403-260-2620
October 27, registration starts at 6:30pm: CHI AGM at the Chinese Cultural Centre. Guest speakers are Ray Lee, founding member of the Sien Lok Society, and Kim Fung, curator of the “Builders & Patriots” exhibit.

October 27-30: Austin, National Preservation Conference

November 5-7: One Book One Calgary Heritage Weekend hosted by the Public Library

Keep an eye out for the next Heritage Roundtable, topic will be Architectural Heritage.

Have a great week,

Cheers,
Cynthia

[cjane]

Waking up on Tuesday morning I felt as though I was in an entirely “new” city. We all have great hopes for our new mayor and the new council, and I look forward to working them to ensure Calgary’s built heritage is maintained and woven into the city’s fabric. If things unfold as hoped, this city will grow into one of the west’s most vibrant urban centres and the place to be. I think my friends back east are already jealous!

Tonight I’m headed to Heritage Matters: Historic Preservation the Cowboy Way, at the Calgary Public Library. Sponsored by the Calgary Heritage Authority, and the City of Calgary Land Use Planning and Policy, Darryl Cariou, the city’s Senior Heritage Planner is going to talk about the challenges, successes, and failures in historic preservation.

The latest CHI updates will be revealed at our AGM next Wednesday night at the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre. We have quite a lot of good news to celebrate and look forward to sharing the evening with the CHI community. Guest speakers are Ray Lee, founding member of the Sien Lok Society, and Kim Fung, curator of the “Builders & Patriots” exhibit. Registration starts at 6:30.

CHI dates to remember:

October 27, registration starts at 6:30pm: CHI AGM at the Chinese Cultural Centre.
October 27-30: Austin, National Preservation Conference

November 5-7: Look for CHI at the “One Book One” Calgary Heritage Weekend hosted by the Public Library

Keep an eye out for the next Heritage Roundtable. The topic is Calgary’s Architectural Heritage with guest speakers Darryl Cariou, David Down and Michael McMordie.

Have a great week,

Cheers,
Cynthia

[cjane]

First, I want to thank the CHI Board and CHI members who participated in our AGM on Wednesday night at the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre. The Board provided updates on the various activities and events we’ve all been involved in, and we were all captivated by our guest speakers, Raymond Lee and Kim Fung from the Sien Lok Society.

In the early 1960’s Ray and a group of Chinese Calgarians were able to stop the proposed expressway – the east-west penetrator – which would have obliterated Calgary’s third Chinatown. At that time Ray quickly learned through his political network that Calgary was not alone in planning to eradicate its Chinatown. The idea of razing entire neighbourhoods to build expressways was spreading across Canada like wildfire. In order to douse the flames, Ray helped to form the Sien Lok Society and organized a national conference, held in Calgary, to raise awareness about the threat. The conference affirmed the importance of Chinatowns and Chinese Canadians in creating the modern Canadian city and in contributing to Canada’s multiculturalism.

This past spring Ray was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Calgary and Athabasca University in recognition of his ongoing activism and advocacy on behalf of Chinese Canadians. Most recently he was instrumental in receiving an apology and financial redress from Prime Minister Stephen Harper for the Chinese Head tax.

Ray’s story was followed by a guided tour of the Builders and Patriots2 exhibit by curator, Kim Fung. Kim is also a member of the Sien Lok Society, and her exhibit tells the stories of the people and buildings that created Calgary’s Chinese community.

I’m looking forward to continuing to make connections with more of Calgary’s Societies, like Sien Lok, and to working with the new CHI Board. It’s inspiring to be part of a network of people who are all committed to maintaining Calgary’s built heritage.

Dates to Remember:
November 1, 5-7pm: An open house will be held at the South Calgary Community Hall to discuss the proposed public art that will replace Firehall No. 5

November 5-7: Look for CHI at the “One Book One” Calgary Heritage Weekend hosted by the Public Library

The next Heritage Roundtable, Calgary’s Architectural Heritage will be held the week of November 22. Guest speakers are Darryl Cariou, David Down and Michael McMordie.

Have a great week,

Cheers,
Cynthia

[cjane]

The new Board Officers appointed at the CHI Board Meeting on November 15 are:

President: Cynthia Klaassen
Vice President: Bob van Wegen
Secretary: Kristy Horak
Treasurer: Rozalyn Boddy
Director of Communications: Laura Pasacreta
Director of Development Watch: Chris Edwards
Board Members-at-Large (at least until I have coffee with them ) Rick Williams and Penelope Arcos.

I am very excited to be working with such an inspirational group.

There are plenty of interesting things I’ve found to share with you since my last update. The following links are intended to provoke some thought and discussion as to the role built heritage has to the City of Calgary.

This is the latest issue of ACORN, the newsletter of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario lists the 2010 ACO Awards: . Stay tuned for an upcoming announcement from the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation regarding their Heritage Awards.

While perusing the financial pages, I recently found this provocative headline: “The hounds of heritage - Not every old building deserves to be preserved” - and I believe that Mr. Browne requires some points of clarification.

The City of Victoria is proposing new limits on building heights along one of their downtown thoroughfares: . It reminded me that having some type of height restriction ensures that streetscapes and neighbourhoods are kept to a human scale and that the context of heritage buildings, like Firehall #1 and the Chamber of Commerce, is maintained. Although I’m a huge fan of Sir Norman Foster, I am struck by the obsolescence that the Calgary Tower, once a city icon, now faces.

During my recent visit to Victoria I met with heritage friend and CHI member, Trisha Carleton. Trisha recently relocated to the Island to become the Program Coordinator for UVic’s Cultural Management Programs. A list of available courses, some offered on campus and others through distance learning, is available at .

CHI dates to remember:
November 22: Heritage Roundtable at Cliff-Bungalow/Mission Community Hall. The theme for this one is Calgary’s Architectural Heritage, and guest speakers include David Down, Mike McMordie, Darryl Cariou and Linda Fraser. You can register on-line at . Look for the Roundtable in the drop-down menu.

November 24: Pechakucha Night #6 at the John Dutton Theatre in the Central Library (). The line-up includes our own VP Bob Van Wegen, our heritage friend Irena Karshenbaum of the Little Synagogue project, and Aritha Van Herk, Author of "Mavericks", the feature book for “One book, One Calgary.”

Have a great week,

Cheers,
Cynthia

[cjane]

So Albertans have Canada’s biggest appetite for culture, huh? . An interesting thought and it reminds me of a comment that Darryl made at the Roundtable on Monday night. He pointed out that in fact Calgary is ahead of many eastern cities in its heritage preservation policies. So sounds like we do have something to feel positive about and that our voices make a difference.

Speaking of voices, Bob van Wegen ROCKED at Pechakucha night on Wednesday. I’ve posted a few pics on our fb page. For more info about Pechakucha, go to the web site:


Today I spotted this article by Lisa Rochon about the rest stations along the 401 in Ontario. The 401 is something like the QE2, but a lot longer and lot more boring. And yes, fraught with snow storms and bad weather. Having traversed that highway waaay too many times to count I’m all too familiar with the dismal offering of the rest stops: long lines, dirty bathrooms, and the usual greasy fast food. The renovations mentioned in this article are a great example of how well designed and aesthetically pleasing sites can lift our spirits and create a sense of destination, providing something more to look forward to, other than the end of the road. (“Are we there yet?”)

CHI dates to pencil in:

December 4: Civic Camp 3-D. If you want to jump into more activism at the grassroots, then Civic Camp is the place to connect with like-minded folk. I’ll be leading the group discussion on “Vibrant Urban Villages” with a strong heritage voice. To learn more about Civic and to register go to:

December 10: Next CHA meeting in the Legal Traditions Board room.

December 13: We’re waiting to confirm whether or not the Honourable mention, received at the Heritage Canada Foundation conference back in September, for the national Prince of Wales prize will be presented to council on this date. If it is, we invite all of our heritage friends along to be present for the formal presentation of the award. We’ll keep you posted.


Cheers,
Cynthia

[cjane]

It really has been a fantastic week for CHI as we wave 2010 goodbye. On Monday morning the city was presented with two heritage awards:

1) From the Heritage Canada Foundation, the annual Prince of Wales Prize for Municipal Heritage Leadership, Honourable Mention, was presented in recognition of Calgary’s commitment to the conservation of its historic built environment, through regulation, policies, and funding and,
2) The Alberta Historical Resources Foundation Municipal Heritage Preservation Award for exemplary commitment to the identification, protection and promotion of municipal historic resources.

These awards demonstrate the City’s progress in the identification, protection and management of Calgary’s built heritage, and serve as a positive reminder that the chorus of heritage voices in Calgary is being heard.

CHI would like to express our sincere thanks to all the heritage friends who were able to join us in the Council Chambers for the presentation. Together we can continue to remind Council of the importance that our built history has for Calgary’s future. To re-experience the day check out the YouTube video at: .

Victoria
Further to the discussion re funding for upkeep of our heritage resources that made the headlines last week, Royal Roads U out in Victoria will be getting funding for retrofitting under the guise of sustainability: . SF geeks will know that in addition to being a significant heritage resource, Hatley Castle has also played the part of the X-Mansion

Toronto
In Toronto the Hearn Generating Station is facing demolition threat, demonstrating that just because a building is on the inventory, doesn’t mean it’s safe. The following articles propose some alternative uses for the building and the site, and anyone who has been to the Tate Modern in London knows that decommissioned power plants have fantastic potential for adaptive re-use. Once they’re been repurposed they provide a key anchor and spark redevelopment and urban renewal for the adjacent neighbourhoods and community.

You can read more at: , and for a view of the value of cultural centres:

CHI dates:

January’s Heritage Roundtable meeting will focus on trades, and if you’re on the mailing list you’ll receive an email once the date has been nailed down. To get onto the mailing list please send a note to info@calgaryheritage.org.

Have a wonderful and warm Christmas.

Cheers,
Cynthia

[cjane]

For my first update of 2011 I wrote the following response to a recent article from the Heritage Canada Foundation, Are Canada's Historic Schools our Next Endangered Species? . This is a brief outline of the successes that Calgary has had in the ongoing use and adaptive re-use of its inventory of Historic Schools dating from the early 20th century. Most of these buildings are examples of Calgary’s Sandstone construction era, which lasted roughly from 1887 until the advent of WW1. Thus the demolition of any one of these schools is a loss of Calgary’s unique construction heritage, and of a community’s focal point.

Before the success stories there was a significant loss, which is still a sore spot within the local heritage community. In 2002 St. Mary’s school was under demolition threat. Architecturally it was significant since its designer, William Stanley Bates, was also responsible for many of the public buildings erected in Calgary at the turn of the century. Moreover Bates’ son, Maxwell Bates, designed St. Mary’s Cathedral just a block away. Built in 1909 the school was the first of its kind in the North-West Territory and formed part of a neighbourhood continuum of structures that told the story of early Catholic settlement in Calgary. The school sat in the heart of Rouleauville, a French-Catholic village intended to attract settlers of that heritage to the west, which remained independent for seven years before it was annexed by Calgary. Rouleauville also included the Cathedral, the Sacred Heart Convent behind the school (you can see part of it in the bottom-left of the photograph), and the Holy Cross Hospital a few blocks to the south. It’s discouraging to note that the joint efforts of Calgary’s heritage groups was not enough to stop the demolition of the school, which was approved by city council. Today a strange likeness of the original stands on the site as a bitter reminder of the failure of heritage advocates.

Almost ten years later it’s a much different story and, in spite of (or perhaps because of) the relentless urban sprawl that attracts young families to the fringes of the city, Calgary has managed to maintain many of its Historic Schools. Some are still in active use as schools, attracting students and parents through innovative programming. Others have found new uses as community centres and offices.

Stanley Jones School, dating from 1913, was built at the height of the sandstone building boom. Almost 100 years later it retains its original function and the students and parents who work and learn there are proud to be a part of its ongoing legacy. The school is a community focal point for events, and “maximizing the age and beauty of the building” forms part of its chief mandate. In 2010, at the Calgary Heritage Authority’s biannual Lion awards, Stanley Jones School was awarded an honourable mention for its “Route to Roots” project. This project combined the greening of the schoolyard with the history of the school and surrounding neighbourhoods.

The oldest continually operating school in Calgary is Connaught School built in 1911. In 2007 it closed for renovations, which earned a LEED silver standard. Since reopening in 2009 it is popular with local students and rumour has it, with parents from further afield who are keen to enrol their children in what is now viewed as a trendy inner-city school. Thanks in part to the historically sensitive renovation, this inner-city school has evolved from an undesirable place to one with cachet. The school, and surrounding neighbourhood, is named for the Duke of Connaught who, when he visited Calgary in 1914 as Governor General of Canada, presented the school with portraits of himself and his wife. These portraits are still on display in the school’s main foyer.

A few blocks to the east of Connaught School is the Carl Safran School, originally the Calgary Collegiate Institute. It’s currently undergoing restoration to its sandstone façade and interior renovations. Once complete it will form a key focal point for the new Calgary Board of Education headquarters and the completed restoration includes a functional historic classroom for use in school field trips.

A new office tower has been erected immediately adjacent to the sandstone school, and its set-back facade provides an unobstructed view of the original school. Unfortunately the construction and renovation on the site required the demolition of a historic gymnasium to make room for a conference centre.

The Victoria Crossing neighbourhood lies directly to the north of the Stampede and for many years now has faced development pressure from the Stampede and developers eager to capitalize on its location close to the heart of the city. In its heyday the neighbourhood had a completely different look and feel as it was comprised of single family homes, warehouses and factories. Victoria school was built in 1903 to serve this community. Due to shifting demographics and loss of local housing the school’s use evolved from public to private and was renovated for office use. A Bungalow school was built beside the sandstone one in 1919, attesting to the rapid growth of the community at that time. The Bungalow school, a wooden edifice erected when sandstone was no longer affordable, was recently moved from beside the original school to behind it. Unfortunately, due to the current economic climate, it is currently in need of a new patron to ensure it too is reintegrated into the Victoria Crossing community.

Neighbouring schools in the Cliff Bungalow-Mission community are both still in active use. Cliff Bungalow School is home to a community centre and a Montessori school, and beside it the Holy Angels school was renovated and restored by the city in 2010. Today it provides office space for the city’s arts and culture staff.

The story of King Edward School is waiting for its happy ending. It’s another example of Calgary’s sandstone schools and sits in the heart of the South Calgary community. In autumn 2010 it was put out to tender by the city for a third time and the heritage community is optimistic that its new owner will appreciate its historic significance and devise a sustainable solution to ensure its future viability.

These are only a sample of some of the ongoing success stories Calgary can boast of its Historic Schools. In spite of the loss of St. Mary’s school, or perhaps because of it, today Calgary has a wealth of Historic Schools that are still in active use. They provide examples of solutions for adaptive reuse, and many have successfully maintained their connection to the local community. The demolition of St. Mary’s school was a watershed that created greater community awareness of its historic significance and the importance that one structure has on maintaining the fabric of a community.

[cjane]

Time for another update on news and events that I’ve been keeping an eye on.

First, Bob found this on-line petition to save the Mount Allison Memorial library in New Brunswick. Incredibly, the University is firing up the ‘dozers to mow down this 1927 Tudor Revival style library to make way for a new arts centre. How ironic is that? Make sure to add your name and comments to the petition at .

This morning I came across the following article with ideas on how to create more vibrant suburbs: Hume: An architect’s vision for high-density suburbs (). It may not be directly related to heritage, but the question on how to make the suburbs more liveable one is going to shape the future of Calgary. Secondary Suites are in part an answer, and the young architect in this article offers some more radical suggestions.

CHI dates:
March 11– Heritage Matters with Nancy Pollock-Ellwand, Dean of EVDS at UofC. This event is hosted by the CHA at the Calgary Public library.
March 14 - Retooling Homes and Communities for the 21st Century with Dr. Avi Freedman. Takes place in the John Dutton Theatre at the Central library from 7-9pm
March 17 – Heritage Roundtable. Dispatches from the Heritage Frontlines: Stories about Saving Places. It will also be hosted in the John Dutton Theatre at Central Library from 7-9pm. Hear stories from the front lines of heritage conservation from those who have led the fight to save sites of historic significance and learn the secrets of their success.

**New Date**
April 20 – Keep your heritage calendars open for the CHA’s presentation of their annual report to the Land Use, Planning & Transportation Committee. This is another opportunity for Heritage Voices to be heard at City Hall. This agenda item has been postponed from the March 16 meeting.

Cheers,
Cynthia