^^^ You make a good point, but there are many places in Calgary where you can find the history/character/not super-expensive options that you are craving. They do exist, but sometimes you need to go off the beaten path to find them.
Back on the topic of the gardens, here are some pictures of the original as it was in 2008 for comparison:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/entheos...in/photostream