a modest past
The East Village is home to historic Calgary landmarks, including the Simmons Building, King Edward Hotel, Hillier Block, and St. Louis Hotel.
CMLC is supporting the rejuvenation and integration of EV’s heritage buildings so that these modest icons can continue to enhance our architectural diversity and help create dynamic new streetscapes.
Simmons Building
The Simmons Building was erected by the Alaska Bedding Company in 1912 at the peak of Calgary’s development boom and was used to warehouse and assemble adjustable hospital beds, the Beauty Rest line of mattresses, pillows, and chesterfield beds. From 2007 until 2012, the Simmons was the award-winning home of EV master developer CMLC. In 2013, it will begin its transformation into an innovative retail and gathering space. Watch the News & Events for more.
Hillier Block
The three-story Hillier Block, completed in 1910, recalls the 1910-1913 boom when mass immigration came to western Canada. The building housed a billiards hall and barbershop on the ground floor; the upper floors were 12 small residential suites. The Hillier was completely refurbished and in April 2012 became the new headquarters of master developer CMLC.
St. Louis Hotel
The St. Louis Hotel was built in 1914 by Colonel James Walker, an entrepreneur and civic leader who was posthumously voted Calgary’s “Citizen of the Century.”
Along with its original 60 rooms, the neo-classically-inspired hotel contained a bar, café, barbershop, and cigar stand. Proximity to City Hall made it popular with city mayors, particularly Ralph Klein (1980-89), who made the working-class watering hole famous...and infamous. CMLC is currently restoring the St. Louis to make it ‘usable space’ and bring it up to Simmon’s Building standards in preparation for a future developer partner or tenant.
King Edward Hotel
The King Edward Hotel, built in two phases between 1905 and 1910, is the second oldest hotel building in Calgary and was the oldest continually operating hotel in the city until its closure in 2004. The modestly finished structure recalls 9th Avenue’s pre-World War I status as Calgary’s “Hotel Row”, when it was popular with working men and travelers from the nearby CPR station and as “Whiskey Row,” during prohibition (1916-24),In the early ’80’s, the “King Eddy” became “Home of the Blues” and gained a national reputation. Today, the beat goes on as The Eddy gets transformed into the National Music Centre. For more, visit
www.nmc.ca.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL REMEDIATION OF CALGARY’S EAST VILLAGE
East Village is the birthplace of Calgary, so CMLC wanted to preserve and catalogue any elements of the past that might be discovered during development. Lifeways of Canada has done a Historical Resources Impact Assessments for EV and ongoing field work has revealed the artifacts. History is often a story in fragments.
