Olympic Plaza centennial—sort of

The former City Hall Market, built in 1912-13 as the temporary post office, became the City Hall Annex in 1953 and housed Engineering Department offices. It was eventually transformed into a Bank of Montreal branch, and its final use was as the headquarters of the Calgary Centre for Performing Arts while that facility was under construction. Olympic Plaza was completed on this site in 1987. J. Lewko, photographer. City of Calgary, Corporate Records, Archives Engineering and Environmental Services, Series IV, Box 1, file 1

One of Calgary's best-known landmarks is Olympic Plaza, the public square opposite City Hall that was developed in advance of the XV Olympic Winter Games in 1988. Few people, howver, would use the word "landmark" to describe the plaine, one-storey structure that stood on the corner from 1912 to 1985.

But it was a landmark to the shoppers and merchants who from 1919 to 1951 knew it as the City Hall Market.

Despite its longevity, the building was originally planned as a temporary structure. At the height of the pre-First World War Calgary construction boom in 1912, the Dominion government determined that the Calgary post office and federal building at the southeast corner of 8th Avenue and 1st Street SE was too small. The old sandstone post office, built in 1894, was demolished in 1913. Ottawa planned to replace it immediately with a substantial new edifice.

Meanwhile, a temporary replacement was designed for a site a block away, at the southwest corner of 7th Avenue and 2nd Street SE. One hundred years ago today—on October 25, 1912—a building permit was issued for that new, temporary structure.

By the end of 1913, however, the economy came to a halt and Calgary's boom went bust. Meanwhile, the "temporary" post office served until 1919, when the post office was moved to the Lancaster Building. It took until 1931 before the new post office, the Calgary Public Building—which now houses the foyer of the Jack Singer Concert Hall—was built.

The "temporary" post office building was sold to Theodore J. Klossoski and began operations in 1919 as City Hall Market, a retail complex with over 40 stalls, including bakers, confectioners, fishmongers, meat merchants, and grocers. Many of the vendors were Jewish, including Norman Gould, whose meat market operated there for over three decades.

In January 1953, The City of Calgary took over the City Hall Market building and turned it into City Hall Annex, which housed offices of the engineering department. Later, the building became a Bank of Montreal branch. In its final function, it housed the offices of the Calgary Centre for Performing Arts (now the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts) while that complex was under construction.

In 1985, the former City Hall Market was demolished to make way for Olympic Plaza.

(Adapted from Harry Sanders, "City Hall Market Home to Many Jewish Vendors," Discovery: The Journal of the Jewish Historical Society of Southern Alberta 10:2 [2000]: 1-2.)




In February 1988, Calgary played host to the world during the XV Olympic Winter Games. A year earlier, the $5.7-million Olympic Plaza opened across the street from City Hall. Citizens were given the chance to buy bricks with personal inscriptions for $19.88 each. City of Calgary, Corporate Records, Archives OCO Photos Box 55-6 PP146#29

Before Persons Day

Morning Albertan, Oct. 15, 1912, p. 9

Today is Persons Day, the anniversary of the 1929 decision by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) that women are persons qualified to sit in the Senate of Canada. The decision resulted from a 1927 petition by five Alberta women—Henrietta Muir Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Emily Murphy, and Irene Parlby—asking the federal government to refer the question to the Supreme Court of Canada. Persons Day marks the date when the JCPC reversed the Supreme Court's negative decision in 1928.

This afternoon, the Alberta Champions Society unveiled a plaque honouring Nellie McClung (as well as others recognizing Mary Cross Dover, Robert Chambers Edwards, Father Albert Lacombe, Ernest Manning, and Fred C. Mannix) in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. And this evening, the Calgary Stampede honoured each member of the "Famous Five" (along with 95 other deserving Albertans of the past century) with its Western Legacy Award.

However, October 18 had already become a notable date in Calgary women's history before 1929. On October 18, 1912—a century ago—a group of women met at the Young Women's Christian Association (now the Old Y Centre at 223 - 12 Avenue SW) to form a Women's Business Club. Their immediate concerns were insufficient lavatory facilities for the city's estimated 8,000-10,000 wage-earning women and the absence of smoke-free cafeterias or restaurants.

 

Calgary Daily Herald, Oct. 21, 1912 p. 12

Jewish community celebrates former synagogue

Former congregants of the Shaarey Tzedec reunited for one final service. Many found their old assigned seats.

For the first time in a quarter of a century—and for the last time—the sounds of Hebrew prayers filled the sanctuary of the former Shaarey Tzedec Synagogue (103 – 17th Avenue SE) yesterday.

When it opened in 1959, Shaarey Tzedec was the largest and most modern Jewish congregation in the city. It was built adjacent to the old House of Israel Building (102 – 18th Avenue SE), the city’s original Jewish community centre. The Jewish community had acquired the property for both buildings in the late 1920s. Before 1959, the future synagogue site was used in the winters as a skating rink for Jewish children.

For many years, the Beth Israel Synagogue (literally, “House of Israel”) met in the community building. In the late 1950s, the Beth Israel relocated to a new site on Glenmore Trail and changed its affiliation from Judaism’s Orthodox movement to its Conservative stream.

The new Shaarey Tzedec, by contrast, remained in the city centre and remained Orthodox. However, the congregation distinguished itself as “Modern Orthodox” by allowing family seating and doing away with a mechitzah—a divider—between men’s and women’s sections.

In the mid-1980s, after nearly three decades as separate congregations, the Beth Israel and Shaarey Tzedec amalgamated as the Beth Tzedec Synagogue. The new congregation met in the old Shaarey Tzedec while the Beth Israel was largely demolished and replaced by the present structure. Later, the 17th Avenue synagogue and 18th Avenue community building were sold. The Shaarey Tzedec became a church, the Centre for Positive Living; the House of Israel was remodeled into the Lindsay Park Place condominiums. The former synagogue went on to serve as a church for almost as long as it had been a synagogue.

This year, the former Shaarey Tzedec building was sold and is now slated for redevelopment.

For weeks, I’ve been working with an ad hoc committee that included Ron Singer, a director of the Cliff Bungalow-Mission Community Association, and Zena Drabinsky, the secretary of the Jewish Historical Society of Southern Alberta, to organize a farewell event, for which the owners provided access and support.

From 3:00-6:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 14, the doors of the former Shaarey Tzedec were open to former congregants and other interested people, who included members of the Jewish community, residents of Cliff Bungalow-Mission, and those who were interested in the building—a beautiful 1959 example of Modern architecture designed by the local firm Abugov and Sunderland.

Some 250 people attended and listened to a series of speakers. Many of the former congregants sat in their old assigned seats, following the traditional Jewish custom for the high holidays.

Laura Pasacreta, a culture and heritage consultant with Donald Luxton & Associates Inc. gave an architectural tour of the building and then spoke to the assembled crowd in the prayer hall.

Aron Eichler, the longtime ritual director, shared his memories of the synagogue and the personalities involved.

Saundra Lipton gave a sneak preview of the upcoming program at the Jewish Historical Society of Southern Alberta’s AGM on October 29, which will feature memories of the Shaarey Tzedec.

Judy Parker talked about her 1959 wedding, the first held in the then-unfinished synagogue.

Lastly, the floor was open for people to share their own memories.

After a brief intermission, Rabbi Shaul Osadchey and Ritual Director Leonard Cohen of the Beth Tzedec Synagogue commenced the daily Mincha (afternoon) prayers at 6:00 p.m. Again, former congregants found their old seats, and some 60 or more participants joined Cohen and Eichler in traditional Hebrew prayer.

Rabbi Osadchey and Cohen spoke warmly about the former congregants’ obvious affection for their old synagogue, which had a second life as the Beth Tzedec for a short period in the 1980s.

Cohen concluded the service beautifully. “The late Israeli songstress Ofra Haza,” Cohen remarked, “sang ‘There are people with a heart of stone, and there are stones with a human heart.’

“What brought the love to this community, and the heart to this community, was all the people worshiping here.

“The final psalm that we sang tonight, ironically, was the song of dedication of the Temple [in Jerusalem, destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 CE].

“Nonetheless, it was appropriate,” Cohen added. “Just as we remember and commemorate the Temple, a building that hasn’t been around for many years, we hope to continue remembering and commemorating that which was most important and beloved to everyone here.”

Following services, the group filed into the foyer to enjoy a snack that included gefilte fish and pickled herring. They sang spontaneously and toasted the old building with Scotch and kosher wine. Many people lingered late into the evening, savouring the final moments that they could spend together in an old familiar place.

Participants enjoyed traditional fare and toasted the former synagogue.

Centennial anniversary of shocking murder-suicide in Calgary

John C. Davis shot his wife and the detective he had hired before killing himself, all on October 6, 1912. Davis' photograph appeared in Calgary, Sunny Alberta: The Industrial Prodigy of the Great West (Calgary: Jennings Publishing Company, 1911). He resembled the actor Matt Dillon.

Front page of the Calgary Daily Herald, October 7, 1912, covering the story. The building where the crime occurred still stands at 602 - 17th Avenue SW.

A century ago today, Calgarians were shocked by a double murder-suicide that dominated local headlines for days. The central figure was John C. Davis, an Alabaman who had moved to Calgary around 1906 and established a successful real estate business. The second figure was Minnie Black, a young waitress originally form Belfast. Minnie had been involved in a much-publicized police scandal in 1910, when she accused a police officer of sexual advances but declined to appear as a witness against him. The third was Mildred Dixon, a 25-year-old stenographer from Edinburgh who worked as a private detective at the Capital Detective Agency.

Davis met Black at the restaurant where she worked, and the two eloped in 1911. Before long, John became obsessively jealous and was convinced Minnie was cheating on him. Minnie left John after he became abusive and started locking her in the house, but he persuaded her to return. John then hired Mildred Dixon to shadow Minnie.

The detective moved into the boarding house where the Davises lived, but she quickly realized that John was abusive and that his suspicions were groundless. Disobeying her employers, Mildred told Minnie the whole story and persuaded her to leave John. For protection, Minnie moved into Mildred’s apartment in a building that still stands at 602 – 17th Avenue SW. The jealous husband found the two women and tried to speak to his wife. Hev even rented a room in the neighbouring building so he could spy on Minnie through the window. Fearing for their safety, the women went to the police, but Minnie refused to press charges.

Finally, John promised to leave Minnie alone forever and return to the United States, but he wanted to meet with her one more time. He arrived at Mildred’s apartment with a .38 calibre revolver. It is uncertain whether John was admitted to the room or forced his way in, but he was heard to shout, “For G-d’s sake Minnie, don’t leave me!” He shot and killed his wife, mortally wounded the detective, then committed suicide. Mildred died the following day.

In a bizarre postscript, it was revealed a month later that John Davis was actually Spencer Holder, a bigamist who had abandoned his wife and two children in Alabama. The Davises are buried side by side in unmarked graves in Calgary’s Union Cemetery. Mildred’s unmarked grave is in the next row to the west.

—Adapted from my book Calgary's Historic Union Cemetery (Calgary: Fifth House Ltd., 2002).

Precedent for Daniel J. Kirk's glass box on Stephen Avenue

Today, artist Daniel J. Kirk emerged from the glass cube on 8th Avenue and 2nd Street SW for the first time since Oct. 1. This was an isolation and art-making project. Kirk stayed in the cube in full view of the public and painted the glass from inside. He was sustained by water but no food.

Note the glass timing booth mounted high above the street at the northeast corner of 8th Avenue and 1st Street SE. It was placed there in December 1918. Glenbow Archives ND-8-275

Ninety-four years ago, another glass box was placed a block further east, where it remained for years. It was the Calgary Municipal Railway's glass timing booth, where street railway employees timed streetcars to keep track of the city's streetcar system. All but two lines in the entire network passed the busy corner of 8th Avenue and 1st Street SW, where the "glass booth" was mounted above the street. A clock outside the former Bank of Montreal (which housed A&B Sound in the 1990s) roughly occupies the same site now.

First University of Calgary would have turned 100 today

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University of Calgary Archives 85.025_01.30_2

The entire Faculty of Arts of the original University of Calgary poses in front of the Carnegie Library (now the Memorial Park Branch of the Calgary Public Library) on the first day of university's operation, October 4, 1912.

The provincial government chartered the institution as Calgary College, but to protect the University of Alberta, it withheld degree-conferring power. The proposed campus in what eventually became the neighbourhood of Strathcona Park was supposed to “make Oxford and Cambridge sit up and take notice.” But it was never built, and classes remained in the library until the college closed in 1915. Many of the male students enlisted in the First World War.

Faculty, from left to right in the front row, included: Dr. Frank H. McDougall; Mack Eastman; Dean Edward E. Braithwaite; Dr. F.C. Ward; and librarian Alexander Calhoun. One notable student, standing second from the left in the back row, is Eric L. Harvie, a lawyer who became one of Calgary’s greatest philanthropists. Some of the students pictured here later enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and were killed in the First World War.

Window on history at Holt Renfrew

Feature on the new Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute in the Calgary Daily Herald, September 29, 1927.

Plaque in the Holt Renfrew display window

These newell posts in the display window are all that remains of the Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute.

I went to Holt Renfrew at 510—8th Avenue SW on Tuesday afternoon and paused at the display window along 8th Avenue. The window displays no merchandise. Its contents include photographs and text interpreting the history of the Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute, which opened on the site 85 years ago (October 2, 1927) and remained at 516 - 8 Avenue SW until it was demolished in 1968. William Aberhart, the lay preacher who headed the institute, went on to found the Alberta Social Credit Party and served as premier from 1935 until his death in 1943. Aberhart's protegé at the Prophetic Bible Institute, Ernest C. Manning, succeeded him as premier and remained in office for a quarter of a century. His son, Preston Manning, later became founding leader of the Reform Party of Canada.

On being Calgary's historian laureate

A little over three months ago, the Calgary Heritage Authority appointed me as the Calgary Heritage Authority 2012 Historian Laureate. The context is Calgary's status as one of two Cultural Capitals of Canada this year; the other is the Niagara region in Ontario.

Calgary has been enjoying a yearlong celebration that also marks a century since its phenomenal pre-First World War boom. The city had grown more than tenfold in a decade, and lasting institutions that include the Calgary Public Library and the Calgary Stampede had their origins that year.

Among other duties, I've been doing media appearances and tweeting daily (@harry_historian) about my activities and about events in the city exactly 100 years ago. I'm now going to start blogging about my experiences as a public historian and ambassador for the Calgary Heritage Authority. I'll also post my thoughts on the city's past and what it means for the city and its inhabitants today.

The coming week is full of centennials, including the opening of the first University of Calgary in early October 1912. Denied degree-conferring power by a provincial government protective of the University of Alberta, the new institution took a the humbler identity as Calgary College. (Since that name was taken, another institution of higher learning formed around the same time had to choose a different name, becoming Mount Royal College—today's Mount Royal University.)