Final buildings in Calgary's second Chinatown set for demolition
Two historic buildings in Calgary's second Chinatown are set to be demolished for an 18-storey tower.
One of the buildings, the two-storey Western Block, is located on the corner of 10th Avenue and 1st Street S.W.
"This is the last remaining building of Calgary's second Chinatown," said Heritage Calgary CEO Josh Traptow.
The Western Block was built in 1905 by then-mayor Thomas Underwood.
"In that time, when it was very anti-Chinese, Thomas Underwood was actually a very strong supporter of Chinese-Calgarians owning land and also having business and other properties," Traptow said.
The Western Block features shops on the ground floor while the second floor is used for apartments.
The Calgary Planning Commission approved the development of the 18-storey tower last month.
According to Traptow, Calgary's second Chinatown, which featured the Western Block and the Calgary Gas Company workshop building, existed between 1901 and 1910.
"(Underwood was) a strong proponent of Chinese-Calgarians, making sure they had places to do business," Traptow said.
"We really encourage the developer to retain more of the existing building."
Heritage Calgary's recommendation was to have the new development feature the facade, the brick or other elements from the building.
"They have said that is not feasible," Traptow said.
Traptow says a commemoration component is set to go in the back alley.
Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong wants more to be done.
"If this was any other community and culture, whether it be Indigenous or Black Lives Matter or LGBTQ, this would be unacceptable to put in the back alley," he said.
The development is also knocking out the Backlot, the building where "Calgary's oldest queer bar establishment" is located.
"I think more and more Calgarians are understanding the significance of the intangible, heritage and stories that are connected to them," Traptow said.
CTV News has reached out to the developer, Truman Homes, but has yet to hear back.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.