by Anthony Imbrogno, a volunteer with The Calgary Heritage Initiative Society/Heritage Inspires YYC
Calgary has seen many booms and busts, including the turmoil of the 1970s and 1980s. War caused gas shortages and then overdevelopment crashed oil prices, leading to Calgary’s worst economic slump.
Great Canadian Oil Sands operated near Fort McMurray (ca.1962), the largest private investment in Canadian history.
Petro Canada became Calgary’s newest, tallest building. Toronto-Dominion Square (ca.1977) was built, including Devonian Gardens. Calgary’s downtown now has the most skyscrapers in Canada outside Toronto.
Bow Valley College received a building (ca.1972). Nearby the federal government’s Harry Hays Building was built (ca.1978), with city hall relocating to the Municipal Building (ca.1985).
General Hospital #2 was demolished in 1973. A preservation society tried to save it. Today, Rundle Ruins holds its original sandstone foundations.
Deerfoot took a decade to build, named after the Siksika man, Api-kai-ees, who was known for winning the 1886 Dominion Day race. The C-Train opened (ca.1981) and has expanded since.
The Flames arrived from Atlanta (ca.1980), beginning a decade-long playoff streak. They occupied the Saddledome in 1983. It has a reverse hyperbolic paraboloid roof (think Pringles chip). But Calgarians saw a horse saddle and the name stuck.
For Calgary’s 100th anniversary, Fort Calgary’s site was preserved, which hosted a re-enactment of the NWMP’s arrival. The Bow River Pathways and Century Gardens were established.
Glenbow Museum opened in 1976, followed by Arts Commons (ca.1985). It hosts the Orchestra in Jack Singer Concert Hall, one of North America’s most acoustically acclaimed venues.
Brutalist architecture was all the rage. Mayland Heights School (ca.1968) has open spaces and sloping concrete walls. St. Luke’s Church in Brentwood is another example.
More community institutions appeared. St. Vladimir’s Church has unique copper-domed towers. Sien Lok Park celebrates Chinatown’s preservation.
Nose Hill was also preserved. A stone medicine wheel represents where Indigenous ceremonies were once performed. Fish Creek Park was created from Burns’ ranch lands.
1977 was the centennial of Treaty 7, when The Prince of Wales placed a marker at Blackfoot Crossing.
For recreation, Calaway Park (ca.1982) became Western Canada’s largest amusement park. At Banff, Sulphur Mountain Gondola received a new complex (ca.1980). The summit had previously hosted a cosmic ray station.
All copyright images cannot be shared without prior permission.
https://digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/asset-management/2R3BF1S5UXD2?WS=SearchResults. “Group examining tar sands, Fort McMurray, Alberta.”, 1927, (CU1176185) by Unknown. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calgarytowershot.JPG. A view from the Calgary Tower overlooking downtown (Suncor Energy Centre West Tower in centre), Calgary, 2008. Photo in the public domain.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calgary_Devonian_Gardens_5_(222085639).jpg. Calgary Devonian Gardens, July 2006 (Tony Hisgett, via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license).
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calgary_city_hall1.jpg. Calgary city hall and municipal building, July 2004 (Qyd, via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license).
https://digitalcollections.ucalgary.ca/asset-management/2R3BF1OJ33MM?WS=SearchResults. “[Deerfoot], Blackfoot runner.”, 1886, (CU1107025) by Unknown. Courtesy of Glenbow Library and Archives Collection, Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atlantaflamesgoalhug.jpg. Tom Lysiak (left), center with the Atlanta Flames (NHL), celebrates a goal with teammates during a game against the Colorado Rockies, circa 1978 (Rick Dikeman, image in the public domain).
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Glenbow_NE_corner.jpg. Glenbow Museum, NE corner, August 2015 (Darthrussel, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license).
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