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

[GaiJin]

- Eating Lunch at Zen 8 in Penny Lane mall.
- Going to ALCB under age , writing down what you wanted on a piece of paper and taking it the service counter and having the clerk roll it down the steel rollers to you.
- Going to the first Non ALCB beer stores at the North Centre Inn and what is now the Clarion Hotel.
-Heavenly grilled cheese sandwich and fries at the Sears Cafe at North hill Mall.
- Getting obscenely high, then catching the laser show at the Planetarium.
-Skiing at Paskapoo for 4 bucks.
-Bonanza steak house
-Pulling up to a parking meter and finding free time left, when Calgary parking authority was a useful service and not just a profit centre for an overspending city.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by rotten42

1. North Hill Movie theatre - it was the best

Wow I used to like that theatre. Am I crazy, or was there a theatre in Bankers Hall/TD? I could swear I watched a movie or two downtown somewhere.

Originally Posted by GaiJin

Bonanza steak house.

They still had one in Med Hat the last time I was there. (Edit: Looks like it's gone now, but Saskatchewan still has them.)

[LanceUppercut]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Wow I used to like that theatre. Am I crazy, or was there a theatre in Bankers Hall/TD? I could swear I watched a movie or two downtown somewhere.


They still had one in Med Hat the last time I was there. (Edit: Looks like it's gone now, but Saskatchewan still has them.)

There were movie theatres in Esso plaza around the Calgary a tower. I saw Wrath of Khan there when I was a kid.

[PaperBagger'14]

This place is still around but I just remembered going there a lot as a kid. Did anyone else used to hang out at the barn in shawnessy?

[Finger Cookin]

There were also theaters in Bankers Hall, on the fourth floor.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

There were also theaters in Bankers Hall, on the fourth floor.

Where the gym is now? Fantastic news. I'm not crazy after all.

[Harju]

Was it North Hill that had the big curved screen? I liked the Banker's Hall theatres. They had great seats.
I seem to recall The Esso Plaza theatres were those awful dingy ones.

[PostandIn]

Originally Posted by Harju

Was it North Hill that had the big curved screen? I liked the Banker's Hall theatres. They had great seats.
I seem to recall The Esso Plaza theatres were those awful dingy ones.

Not only did north hill have that cool curved panoramic screen but the theatre was huge and I believe it was one of the first to have Dolby sound. One of the best movie experiences I've ever had was Aplocalypse Now at that theatre. It was like you were right in the jungle.

[JiriHrdina]

The Bankers Hall theatres were great. They weren't where the gym is - as that was there too. They were on the otherside up on that level. Loved going there.
The Esso Plaza theatres were terrible - screens that size of TVs that many people now have in their homes.

Other old theatres:
- The Grande. Before stadium seating came back, this was the last theatre that had it in Calgary
- The theatres at the base of the tower, where Veritgo is now.
- The theatres where the Calgary Convention Centre is now - saw "Short Circuit" there.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Where the gym is now? Fantastic news. I'm not crazy after all.

I'm not sure what's there now. If there's a gym at the top of the escalators on the west side, then that's where the theaters were. 5 screens, if I recall.

[LIP MAN]

Originally Posted by troutman

Camp Gardner is closing (and moving?):

http://chin.scouts.ca/ca/camp-gardner

Camp Gardner will be closing October 1, 2015.

We will take the best of our history into the future. We have had the privilege of Clem Gardner’s “graze lease" donation since 1957 to enjoy a cub camp retreat for almost 60 years. What a wonderful place for young Cub Scouts and others to experience learning in the outdoors. It was the camp experience at Camp Gardner that laid the foundation to become a successful scouter.

The Cub Scout Way is to play! The experience of camping is not going away, it is simply being moved. Since the flood in 2013, we have re-directed our Cub Camp program to Tillicum Village at Camp Impeesa

They had a great obstacle course.

Too bad, had a few cub camps there. Always loved it.

[puffnstuff]

Studio 82 was a great theater. Used to have friends that worked there, never paid for a movie or popcorn. But also watched the same movies over and over again.

[LIP MAN]

When I was a kid, I was a "southie" living in the Deer Ridge/Deer Run area. Some stuff I remember was:

1. TWO video game stores near me. One had a Super Famicom that you had to pay to play (5 dollars for 15 minutes or so). One was Pro Players and I'm trying to remember the name of the other one. I actually ran into the old owner of the store, Chad. I somehow still had the membership in my wallet 10 years after they closed, lol.

2. Lazer Illusions: Southcentre was the Mecca growing up, they had a huge setup near where the police station now is.

3. Waterslide on Macleod was amazing.

4. Chi Chi's. I'm sure I'd hate it now, but loved their chimichangas back in the day.

5. 1st Street/Warehouse/Republic (late 90's). These were our main hangout areas to have some drinks. Really miss some of the early specials, my liver could do without!

6. Studio 82 Theatre. It's gone through some changes, I saw a few movies there.

7. Cheap everything. God, everything was so affordable in comparison. I make pretty good money, but it was ridiculous how cheap everything was way back then.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Other old theatres:
- The Grande. Before stadium seating came back, this was the last theatre that had it in Calgary
- The theatres at the base of the tower, where Veritgo is now.
- The theatres where the Calgary Convention Centre is now - saw "Short Circuit" there.

Also:
- Theatres at Southcentre
- Theatre (The Odeon?) in Marda Loop where Casbalanca Video was situated. My dad took me to see Alien there when I was 10. What was he thinking?

[JiriHrdina]

The theatres at Southcentre were the ones in that apartment building right? As a kid I figured that has to be the most awesome place in the world to live.
There were some old x-rated theatres too around town, including the Tivoli which is now a Juice store.

Others:
- London Town Square
- Westgate
- Northland Village
- Market Mall (terrible theatres representative of what was built in the 80s)

[GaiJin]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

The Esso Plaza theatres were terrible - screens that size of TVs that many people now have in their homes.

I saw The Serpent and the Rainbow at Esso plaza That theater had zero security, zero supervision. The projectionist basically pushed play and walked away.
During the movie, some dude started smoking, which then lead to everyone lighting up, and a couple rolling around on the floor for about 1/2 hour, then smoking.

[GaiJin]

Originally Posted by PostandIn

Not only did north hill have that cool curved panoramic screen but the theatre was huge and I believe it was one of the first to have Dolby sound. One of the best movie experiences I've ever had was Aplocalypse Now at that theatre. It was like you were right in the jungle.

North Hill mall now has no other attraction now that the theater and the bowling alley is gone. I can't recall if it even has any real sit down restaurants in there anymore. We use to go to the Parklane pub for a few then stroll the mall before catching a movie.
Overall the mall is much nicer inside now, and you no longer need a flashlight when shopping there, it had a lot of good stores, but it was like a bat cave.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

The Bankers Hall theatres were great. They weren't where the gym is - as that was there too. They were on the otherside up on that level. Loved going there.
The Esso Plaza theatres were terrible - screens that size of TVs that many people now have in their homes.

Other old theatres:
- The Grande. Before stadium seating came back, this was the last theatre that had it in Calgary
- The theatres at the base of the tower, where Veritgo is now.
- The theatres where the Calgary Convention Centre is now - saw "Short Circuit" there.

The one at the base of the tower was called the Palliser Square Cinemas. IIRC there were 2 screens.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

The theatres at Southcentre were the ones in that apartment building right? As a kid I figured that has to be the most awesome place in the world to live.
There were some old x-rated theatres too around town, including the Tivoli which is now a Juice store.

Others:
- London Town Square
- Westgate
- Northland Village
- Market Mall (terrible theatres representative of what was built in the 80s)

Theatres at Southcentre were in the mall to the right of where the main entrance is on the south side. They took over the space that Safeway used to have. I remember seeing Tin Cup there.

There was also the Southland Cinemas on the corner of Macleod and Southland drive. One big screen and 3 smaller ones. I saw the original Indiana Jones and Back To The Future movie there.

[socalwingfan]

I'm old enough to remember when Southcentre was a drive-in. Saw Blazing Saddles there with the family