'It was the birth of Calgary': How Stephen Avenue tells the story of the city
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Marcel Hebert — a member of the Southern Alberta Pioneers and their Descendants history committee — brought his audience this week along through the development of Stephen Avenue in a presentation entitled Stephen Avenue Comes Alive.
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The journey started in 1883, when Calgary was a town of fewer than 500 people, and the Canadian Pacific Railway had just arrived.
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'It was the birth of Calgary,' Hebert said. The railway station was constructed in what was then called Section 15, now downtown Calgary. Nearby lots went up for sale, and Stephen Avenue was born — at the time, just a row of small shacks. The street was named after George Stephen, the president of the CPR.
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'Without the taxpayers that elected the prime minister that settled on Canadian Pacific Railway to unite Canada, I don't know if (Calgary) would have existed, but it wouldn't be the (population) that we are today,' Hebert said.
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'That was the whole story of Calgary — and Stephen Avenue doesn't tell all of it, but it tells you a lot.'
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Hebert's presentation touched on the journey through the next 50 years, as the row of small shacks became the grand sandstone facades that we see today. Notably, very few of the current buildings are actually the originals. Many have been torn down and rebuilt, or were burned down in the fires that Stephen Avenue has seen throughout its history. Most, however, were modeled after the originals as a means of preserving the history of the buildings.
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Hebert also dove into the history of each building between Centre Street and 1st Street S.W., and featured archival images and a 3D model of the street. It took him about a year to compile, pulling most of his information from the Calgary Herald's archives and the Glenbow Library and Archives.
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Hebert isn't a historian by trade — the presentation was a passion project, which he showcased for the first time at last year's Historic Calgary Week. His interest in Stephen Avenue lies in the fact that it's been a hub of Calgary for almost 150 years.
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'To me, it's the centre of Calgary,' he said. 'Ninth Avenue is where the centre was, but all those buildings are gone.'
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Calgary Herald
5 days ago
- Calgary Herald
'It was the birth of Calgary': How Stephen Avenue tells the story of the city
With the City of Calgary's Stephen Avenue revitalization project now underway, Historic Calgary Week's deep dive into the history of the area was nothing if not timely. Article content Marcel Hebert — a member of the Southern Alberta Pioneers and their Descendants history committee — brought his audience this week along through the development of Stephen Avenue in a presentation entitled Stephen Avenue Comes Alive. Article content Article content Article content The journey started in 1883, when Calgary was a town of fewer than 500 people, and the Canadian Pacific Railway had just arrived. Article content Article content 'It was the birth of Calgary,' Hebert said. The railway station was constructed in what was then called Section 15, now downtown Calgary. Nearby lots went up for sale, and Stephen Avenue was born — at the time, just a row of small shacks. The street was named after George Stephen, the president of the CPR. Article content 'Without the taxpayers that elected the prime minister that settled on Canadian Pacific Railway to unite Canada, I don't know if (Calgary) would have existed, but it wouldn't be the (population) that we are today,' Hebert said. Article content 'That was the whole story of Calgary — and Stephen Avenue doesn't tell all of it, but it tells you a lot.' Article content Hebert's presentation touched on the journey through the next 50 years, as the row of small shacks became the grand sandstone facades that we see today. Notably, very few of the current buildings are actually the originals. Many have been torn down and rebuilt, or were burned down in the fires that Stephen Avenue has seen throughout its history. Most, however, were modeled after the originals as a means of preserving the history of the buildings. Article content Article content Hebert also dove into the history of each building between Centre Street and 1st Street S.W., and featured archival images and a 3D model of the street. It took him about a year to compile, pulling most of his information from the Calgary Herald's archives and the Glenbow Library and Archives. Article content Article content Article content Hebert isn't a historian by trade — the presentation was a passion project, which he showcased for the first time at last year's Historic Calgary Week. His interest in Stephen Avenue lies in the fact that it's been a hub of Calgary for almost 150 years. Article content 'To me, it's the centre of Calgary,' he said. 'Ninth Avenue is where the centre was, but all those buildings are gone.'
Vancouver Sun
26-07-2025
- Vancouver Sun
This Day in History, 1929 and 1938: Fires devastate the Vancouver waterfront
Vancouver has had several devastating fires on the waterfront. Oddly, two were on the same day of the year, nine years apart. The Union Steamship dock caught fire on July 27, 1929. The Canadian Pacific's Pier D was destroyed by fire on July 27, 1938. The Union Steamship fire caused an estimated $120,000 in damage. The Pier D fire was much worse — the damages were said to be $1.2 million. The Union Steamship fire broke out about 3:15 p.m. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'The most spectacular waterfront fire of recent years destroyed the northern half of the Union Steamship company's freight shed at the end of Carrall Street and threatened both shipping and adjacent wharves late Saturday afternoon,' The Province reported on July 28, 1929. 'Flames leaping high in the air against the clear blue sky swept through 500 feet of the shed, a little of the creosoted piling and some freight and caused damage estimated at $120,000.' The cause of the fire was not immediately known, but it picked up with 'several explosions' of gasoline drums set off by flames. 'A nearby pile of lumber was ignited, and within a few moments the dry wooden walls and roof of the structure were ablaze,' said the Province. 'When the first fire trucks arrived, the northern interior of the shed was blazing freely.' Two firefighters 'either fell in the water or jumped to avoid falling debris' while 'directing a steam of water from under the wharf.' But they were unhurt, swimming to a 'guard boom' at the edge of wharf to continue fighting the fire. Several people were reported to have jumped from the end of the wharf when flames broke out, but all survived. Embers from the fire was blown by the wind into the CPR's nearby Pier H dock, but a shed worker and CPR police officer hooked up a hose and doused the dock with water. Incredibly, Union Steamship vessels were able to sail 'as usual' the following day from unaffected parts of the dock, which was described as '500 feet long and 100 feet wide.' The Province described the 'pall of smoke' from the fire rolling up the harbour as looking 'like a vast thundercloud,' and said it attracted thousands of viewers along streets, stores and parks.' But the Pier D fire in 1938 was much more spectacular. It broke out at 1:45 p.m. at the north end of Pier D, at the foot of Granville Street. Within 15 minutes, the entire north end of the pier was in flames. It was so hot, four firefighters battling the blaze from a raft beside the pier had to leap into the water 'when the heat became too much for human flesh to bear.' The raft had caught fire, and the firemen's hose was burned through. Luckily for them, the tugboat Charles H. Cates had come over from North Vancouver to help battle the blaze. They picked the firefighters up, but the heat was so intense Capt. C.W. Cates told The Vancouver Sun that the clothing on the tugboat's crew 'was steaming' by the time they pulled away with the rescued firefighters. Sun editorial writer William Short had a great view of the fire from the Sun tower at Pender and Beatty. 'Billows of black smoke arose from the fire less than 10 minutes after the conflagration broke out,' he wrote. 'I turned around to write some words, then back again. The whole picture of the fire had changed.' Another Sun story said 'the fire as it progressed travelled at the rate of 50 feet in two minutes.' By 2:25 p.m. 'the whole pier right to the entrance at the foot of Granville Street was one raging inferno, a solid mass of flame leaping 50 to 60 feet high.' It took only 40 minutes for the fire to race over the entire pier, which was 276 metres long and 60 metres wide. 'Everything was being consumed as the angry flames in their fury thrust forward and upward,' said the Sun. 'A thrilling sight which filled one with awe at the realization of the helplessness of man before such fierce elements.' Seven people who fought the fire were treated in hospital for injuries, but there was no loss of life. jmackie@
Calgary Herald
26-07-2025
- Calgary Herald
'It has definitely improved a lot': East Village residents and businesses largely unaffected by high crime rates
A woman huddles under a blanket with personal items in front of the East Village Safety Hub and the CMLC office in Calgary on Friday, March 3, 2023. Jim Wells/Postmedia Netty Girard, a pharmacy manager and technician at the Corner Drugstore in East Village Place, said that the area 'has definitely improved a lot' in the 16 years she's worked there. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 'From my perspective, it is not too bad — but then again, I'm just here during the days,' she said. 'I've heard from some of the people that actually live down here that say that it can get pretty scary sometimes at night.' She said she does encounter a lot of homeless people, many of whom are struggling with mental health and addiction issues, but it doesn't bother her much. Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again 'I don't scare very easy. I know for some of the other people, it's a little scarier,' she said. 'Generally, it's not physical threats,' she added. 'They bug you and they yell at you, and stuff like that.' Girard said she believes there should be more of a police presence in the area, but the area around the Corner Drugstore isn't as affected as others. 'Right where we're located, we're surrounded by a lot of seniors and stuff like that,' she said. 'We're not as close to the Drop-In Centre.' For many who, like Girard, work or live in the East Village area, encountering some of Calgary's most vulnerable populations on a day-to-day basis is just par for the course. 'We must distinguish between what we think is security issue and what makes us feel uncomfortable,' said Ken Peach, president of the East Village Neighbourhood Association. Peach said drug use and crime, whether it be in the East Village or elsewhere in the city, is a societal issue — and what he hears from most residents of the area is that they view it in the same way. 'For most people, I would say they are cognizant of those elements and try to look through the perceptions to what is actually the reality,' Peach said. 'What makes some feel uncomfortable, what is an actual threat, and how we consider those that look different from us?' Peach said that instances of crime, like the stabbing that occurred near the Drop-In Centre Thursday evening, typically don't pose a threat to the community as a whole. 'Often those incidents that happen are between people know each other to begin with,' he said. Clare LePan, vice president of strategic partnerships for the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), said that safety initiatives implemented in recent years have received largely positive feedback from the community.
