Old Calgary stuff you miss...(The Nostalgia thread)

[browna]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

TIL that Google has done extensive newspaper archiving, and they have thousands of Calgary Herald issues from the 1880's to the 1980's

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=PLWDSxI5WzYC
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Hx6RvaqUy9IC

Also another reminder if you get a library card from the CPL, you get access to Calgary Herald from 1880s to 2010, and the search function/engine is really good within the application.

https://calgarylibrary.ca/read-learn...rchive-online/

[craigwd]

Does anyone remember what was at the location of Olympic Plaza before it was built in 1986?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by craigwd

Does anyone remember what was at the location of Olympic Plaza before it was built in 1986?

Look like a big 'ol parking lot.
https://360degree.city/2018/09/04/th...olympic-plaza/

[boogerz]

Originally Posted by browna

Also another reminder if you get a library card from the CPL, you get access to Calgary Herald from 1880s to 2010, and the search function/engine is really good within the application.

https://calgarylibrary.ca/read-learn...rchive-online/

It's nice that they have this online now instead of having to go down to the central library to look through the archive room.

[getbak]

It looks like that was only just before construction started.

You can see the old aerial photos of the city here: https://maps.calgary.ca/CalgaryImagery/Imagery/

It looks like the block was full of low-rise buildings, probably similar to a lot of the older buildings that still survive along 7th and 8th Ave today, into the early-80s. Even up to 1984, it looks like most of the buildings on that block were still standing.

[Jiri Hrdina]

I get a little obsessive with trying to figure out what used to be on a site. I think whenever something gets built you should have to frame a little photo somewhere on the site that shows what "used to be there" and a little blurb about it. It's amazing how hard it is to trace back things that are only decades in our past.

Anyways I went through the Glenbow Archives to try and find a photo of what used to be there. It's very hard because the site and the buildings there were probably relatively insignificant. The old Queen's hotel was in the area but i think that was on the site of the new city hall.

But you can kinda see what was directly across from old city hall in this photo:
http://ww2.glenbow.org/search/archiv...OEH=ISO-8859-1

Kinda non descript probably run down building in the area. I'd love to see it from the front.

[Jiri Hrdina]

I can't tell if this provides a clue too. I think this might be what is now s/b Macleod Trail running right to left so then part of the Olympic Plaza site would be in the bottom of the photo? But I can't tell for sure where exactly this is.
http://ww2.glenbow.org/search/archiv...OEH=ISO-8859-1

edit: I think that might be right based on where the tower is, and then coming east from there that would be 9th avenue, so one block south 9th avenue. Possibly the SW portion of the eventual Plaza site...a combination of standard era Calgary downtown buildings, similar to what is down Stephen Ave and a parking lot. And then further north from there, from the other photo, you have a larger downtown non descript building. And somewhat matches the aerial photos from the link Getbak provided.

[browna]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I can't tell if this provides a clue too. I think this might be what is now s/b Macleod Trail running right to left so then part of the Olympic Plaza site would be in the bottom of the photo? But I can't tell for sure where exactly this is.
http://ww2.glenbow.org/search/archiv...OEH=ISO-8859-1

edit: I think that might be right based on where the tower is, and then coming east from there that would be 9th avenue, so one block south 9th avenue. Possibly the SW portion of the eventual Plaza site...a combination of standard era Calgary downtown buildings, similar to what is down Stephen Ave and a parking lot. And then further north from there, from the other photo, you have a larger downtown non descript building. And somewhat matches the aerial photos from the link Getbak provided.

The building on the lower left corner is the building Teatro is in. That partk plaza is where the the current Telus Convention Center is, north of the Glenbow.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by browna

The building on the lower right corner is the building Teatro is in. That partk plaza is where the the current Telus Convention Center is, north of the Glenbow.

Yeah so that's the tip of the plaza site right at the very bottom?

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I can't tell if this provides a clue too. I think this might be what is now s/b Macleod Trail running right to left so then part of the Olympic Plaza site would be in the bottom of the photo? But I can't tell for sure where exactly this is.
http://ww2.glenbow.org/search/archiv...OEH=ISO-8859-1

Yeah, the bottom of this photo is is 8th Ave and Macleod Trail (1st St E). The building in the lower left is still there and part of the Jack Singer Concert Hall lobby. The building with the red brick wall across 8th Ave must be Teatro now. The building across Macleod Trail with the big concrete wall is the Glenbow. Everything north of the Glenbow is gone and is now the Convention Centre and the Hyatt.

[browna]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Yeah so that's the tip of the plaza site right at the very bottom?

Sorry the red stand alone building is Teatro directly south of the plaza with the trees.
Yes basically the Olympic Plaza encompasses every below (East) of that building.

[Jiri Hrdina]

This one goes back further, from 1960 but is pretty neat.
That is Teatro's on the left, which was the Old Dominion Bank building. And then on the right is the city building that would eventually become where the Jack Singer is?

http://ww2.glenbow.org/search/archiv...OEH=ISO-8859-1

[Jiri Hrdina]

One more, according to the archive this is 8th avenue in the 200 block, with the Calgary public building top left.
From 1973.
http://ww2.glenbow.org/search/archiv...OEH=ISO-8859-1

[browna]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

One more, according to the archive this is 8th avenue in the 200 block, with the Calgary public building top left.
From 1973.
http://ww2.glenbow.org/search/archiv...OEH=ISO-8859-1

Flashback there for the "Don't Walk" (and "Walk") signs.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by browna

Flashback there for the "Don't Walk" (and "Walk") signs.

I wonder when the last one was removed/replaced? I can definitely remember a lot them still being around when I was a kid and I want to say even well into my adult years in the 90s.

[Swift]

The above links in the thread have expired but I did see them yesterday.

Did a little bit of research on that end of Stephen Ave this morning (I love this stuff and am always fascinated by what used to exist in places. Maybe my new year's resolution will be to get back into exploring and taking photos of these places like I used to. Many of the photos posted below are by a woman named Alison Jackson who did the same thing in the 60s and 70s, just going around documenting Calgary's buildings)

Some photos of the Burns building showing what is now the SE corner of Olympic Plaza -

Spoiler!

ca 1913 -


both 1963 -

The following photo is described as "North side of 8th Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets S.E." so would be exactly where Olympic Plaza is now.



Also, a photographer named Bill Simpkins took some street level photos of the area in the 70s which can be seen here if you go through them - https://digitalcollections.ucalgary....=SearchResults

********************

I might as well share other photos of the surrounding area I came across while researching.

Some fella riding a Roman chariot. Glenbow would be on the left and the Convention Centre on the right -


The following 1958 photo is where the Convention Centre (Rossos/A&W/Centini) is now -



You can see more if you search Cameron Block on the Glenbow archives including the aftermath of a fire in 1961 in which seven people died and the building was destroyed.

And then on the other side of Macleod, you have the Municipal building sitting there cutting off through access. This is what used to be there in 1963, the north side of the 300 block of 8th Ave -

Spoiler!

[Reggie Dunlop]

The original location of the Bon Ton Meat Market, and Jaffee's Used Bookstore was on the block that is now Olympic Plaza.

[Swift]

http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc1...2864-37725.jpg

Sam Osherow, manager of Jaffe's Book and Music Exchange, Calgary, Alberta. December 20, 1979

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Swift

http://ww2.glenbow.org/dbimages/arc1...2864-37725.jpg

Sam Osherow, manager of Jaffe's Book and Music Exchange, Calgary, Alberta. December 20, 1979

I used to frequent his store when I was a kid. Looking for old sci fi and movie monster magazines.

[Strange Brew]

I remember Jaffee's. My Dad took me there a few times to buy old comic books. That would make me so happy.