Lost buildings

[cnr67]

Originally Posted by Mercucio

^^ Gem Theatre.

What a stupid waste.......

[KC]

Ahh well - at least we have pictures of the old places.

Artists of the past would paint over and wall over previous artists masterpieces.

I guess a commission is a commission.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

From Airboy @ SSP....Tegler go boom

http://www.flickr.com/photos/timtaylorsmith/5206041352/

[Blueline]

Will the new Mayfair look a little similar ?

[IGNITERS]

Man thats hard to watch .......what a terrible waste!
And the building they replaced it with ? .......ugly *****

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

From Airboy @ SSP....Tegler go boom

http://www.flickr.com/photos/timtaylorsmith/5206041352/

[IanO]

I like the BOM, but what a travesty indeed.

[cnr67]

And hence the reason we have the sterile monolithic downtown core we do.

[BalancedOP]

I think back to the Churchill Square when the Court house and Post office were still standing. Would be a hell of a public space now.

[armin]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

From Airboy @ SSP....Tegler go boom

http://www.flickr.com/photos/timtaylorsmith/5206041352/

Inside Job.

I jest. This is the reason I don't want them to get rid of the Walterdale.

[abaka]

Tegler went boom at the moment downtown went bust. It was the last big demolition, and the first big failed construction project. (There was to have been a tower on top of the podium they built.)

That's why it serves as a symbol three decades later, and people like armin still grump about its departure.

But in truth it was an ugly and old heap of bricks, meaningless in itself. If the Tegler had stood, some other building would have become the symbol. Say the Corona -- razed at about the same time. Who remember now it had become a slum and a dive?

Armin is right, though; erasing the Fifth Street Bridge will serve as the epitaph to this round of Edmonton optimism.

[IanO]

"(There was to have been a tower on top of the podium they built.)"

You sure about that? I had always thought so as well, but recall someone saying that there was never a plan for a tower there.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

I think BOM was supposed to be a tower, yes? Methinks that's the only reason why City Hall approved the demolition of the Tegler.

[IanO]

^I dunno, I thought so as well, but recall someone 'in the know' saying that was not the case.

[NielCole]

Originally Posted by IanO

^I dunno, I thought so as well, but recall someone 'in the know' saying that was not the case.

I seem to recall at the time BMO opted not to have a tower. As around the same time they had consoildated alot of the Western Canadian Offices in the new BMO Centre in Calgary. That is Why we got the slighty modified copy of the Great Western Life Insurance Building from Winterpeg...

[abaka]

OK, let me clarify. The BOM building as it stands may have been planned exactly as it is, without tower.

In all the discussions up to and well beyond the moment of demolition, however, it was all about a high-rise being built on that spot.

In fact I remember perfectly well the lot standing empty and hoarded up through much of 1983; I'm not sure offhand, but construction of the BOM started either very late that year or in 1984. And that's when we found out no tower would be built. In any case, that empty lot became really a symbol of busted Edmonton in 1983 -- mosquito madness, 15% official unemployment in mid-summer.

[NielCole]

Originally Posted by abaka

OK, let me clarify. The BOM building as it stands may have been planned exactly as it is, without tower.

In all the discussions up to and well beyond the moment of demolition, however, it was all about a high-rise being built on that spot.

In fact I remember perfectly well the lot standing empty and hoarded up through much of 1983; I'm not sure offhand, but construction of the BOM started either very late that year or in 1984. And that's when we found out no tower would be built. In any case, that empty lot became really a symbol of busted Edmonton in 1983 -- mosquito madness, 15% official unemployment in mid-summer.

Your right it. It was a hole for quite a while and I do seem to believe there was "discussion" at some point about somebody building a tower but BMO put in their main branch instead.

[BalancedOP]

At the time Tegler was Boomed the tower was planned. Manulife, shown in the photo, was the last project to go up for a few years. Until Commerce place.

[davidnorwoodink]

Initially, BOM did plan a tower for that site, taller than ManuLife (can't verify it, but it would have been 40+ stories). But with the bust of the early '80's and the consolidation of many BOM divisions in in the 43 storey Calgary building, we got a seven-storey building instead. I remember being terribly disappointed.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

http://www.rewedmonton.ca/content_view2?CONTENT_ID=1007

City Council declared the building an historic resource in November 1981 but then, on a motion from Ald. Ron Hayter, voted three months later to rescind the designation. Nearly a quarter century later, it's evident that the loss of the Tegler was a big part of the deterioration of downtown. I still believe those councillors made a shortsighted and wrong decision.

When the Tegler fell in a great cloud of dust that December morning in 1982, it angered many Edmontonians and overnight gave birth to the heritage movement that continues to grow. The shiny, windowed and strangely out of proportion Bank of Montreal Building has always struck me as an insult to the classical proportions of the building that was there before.

[cnr67]

Originally Posted by Mercucio

^^ Gem Theater.

"The Gem Theatre was declared a Municipal Historic Resource in 2000. City heritage planner Robert Geldart says hes optimistic that one of Edmonton's last remaining early theaters can still be rescued. But hope is fading fast, just as the flickering images have long ago faded from its screen."
http://www.rewedmonton.ca/content_view2?CONTENT_ID=1321
Just alot of hot air from a bunch of pencil pushers. And the result is what we now have. Another barren lot.

[KC]

This spring (before the leaves are out) might be the last time to get some decent final pictures of the downtown post office.

Are there any aspects of it worth preserving? Does anyone know the history of the art on the south face of the building?

The current Google street view shows very poor images of it due to the shadows. It looks like neglect and poor upkeep hasn't helped either.

[KC]

Originally Posted by etownboarder

This is one of the most tragic of all... can you imagine this as our main library branch instead of the Stanley Milner? I wish I could've been around to see it in those days, it would've been a magnificent library.

I don't know if this is referenced anywhere else but here's a Lawrence Herzog article on it...
Excellent article well worth reading (link below)

Edmontons grand house of books
by Lawrence Herzog
It's Our Heritage | Vol. 23 No. 43 | October 27, 2005

http://www.rewedmonton.ca/content_vi...ONTENT_ID=1216

"Inside, the entrance was lined with Caen stone while the stairs were finished with terrazzo and marble. The central portion of the main floor was crowned by a massive skylight measuring 65 feet by 24 feet, carried on Ionic columns. Large windows on all sides made for superb natural light penetration -- and feat sadly not repeated when the Centennial Library was constructed some 40 years later..."

A little more than 40 years later, ...Poole Construction then built the AGT Tower (now the Telus Tower) on the same site."

http://www.rewedmonton.ca/content_vi...ONTENT_ID=1216



MANY MORE GREAT AND FASCINATING ARTICLES...

http://www.lastlinkontheleft.com/e006structures.html

[Blueline]

KC I believe that the Mosaic panels allong the south face will be preserved

[newfangled]

Originally Posted by KC

Does anyone know the history of the art on the south face of the building?

The current Google street view shows very poor images of it due to the shadows. It looks like neglect and poor upkeep hasn't helped either.

Old picture, but they're in fine shape. It's not so much neglect, as the fact that the location is terrible for showcasing them.

And for what it's worth, I just put this bug into the ear of a few people who will be involved, so at least now the mosaics are known about.

[Rseven]

^ Those should be removed and installed over 'Hall D'

[IanO]

^Isn't there a mural on the east wall as well?

[NielCole]

I seem to recall interior murals also. I haven't been inside in decades (literally) Question though. With the upcoming demo due to the new RAM location and (hopefully) the razing of the dilapidated west wing of buildings between Epcor and the CN Tower, Won't the tower itself look a tad for a lack of a better word diminshed?

[Megatron]

^ CN?

Wouldn't having Epcor loom over it accomplish this? I also suspect that the new RAM will be about the same size, if not slightly bigger, than the current Post Office there.

[IanO]

^If anything, I think it will 'enhance' the prominence of the CN tower. I do wish the owner showed it some love though... I worry about it.

[NielCole]

Originally Posted by IanO

^If anything, I think it will 'enhance' the prominence of the CN tower. I do wish the owner showed it some love though... I worry about it.

Agreed the CN needs some TLC. I would love to see the main concourse re open as sometype of link either to the NAIT line and the EPCOR. I have a link on Flickr that another poster from Edmonton has some extremlely cool vintage shots of the station from the 60's and a concept model of the tower.

This is from my favourites list in flickr.
Another poster "Tikiville43" has uploaded some fantastic vintage postcards pics from the 1950's and 1960's of the core, Things like the Sheraton Caravan, CN, Old City Hall etc.

Just an example

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tikivil...-darrellinyvr/ exterior shot of concept model

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tikivil...-darrellinyvr/ Station interior from the 60's

[IanO]

^that vintage model one is killer.

[NielCole]

Originally Posted by IanO

^that vintage model one is killer.

Yeah. I can remember it as a small kid. I know it's walled off from the lobby since I checked it out last week but if it is intact I think it would make a great "pedway type link" to the Epcor, RAM and NAIT line.

The office, NAIT line traffic once Epcor opens should be able to sustain businesses once again.

[dwntwn_gme]

I'm just a young buck here, and i knew we had demolished most of our old buildings in the core, but i had no idea we had so many gems. They were buildings that people Ooooh and Ahhhh at when they visit other cities downtowns.

The old courthouse compared to the new courthouse has to be the most depressing in my mind...

[Glenco]

Originally Posted by dwntwn_gme

I'm just a young buck here, and i knew we had demolished most of our old buildings in the core, but i had no idea we had so many gems. They were buildings that people Ooooh and Ahhhh at when they visit other cities downtowns.

The old courthouse compared to the new courthouse has to be the most depressing in my mind...

I always thought the old court house was oppressive and depressing. Not a very good example of architecture of it's time.

[cnr67]

Soon to be. The BMO building at 101 st. Ched reported this am it will be demolished.

[Alex.L]

oh man...The Tegler was just a beautiful building.

[cnr67]

Originally Posted by Ander

oh man...The Tegler was just a beautiful building.

I watched them implode it in 82. What a waste and the beginning of mass destruction of so much in the core. Another being the Rialto Theatre on 101 st. The last movie house that had the original crank projector still entact prior to it's fate.

[armin]

Originally Posted by cnr67

Soon to be. The BMO building at 101 st. Ched reported this am it will be demolished.

Let it die. There's not much that's all that redeeming about the BMO building. I'd steal the marble and use it for a different project but the colours and design isn't appealing in any way.

[kcantor]

Originally Posted by cnr67

I watched them implode it in 82. What a waste and the beginning of mass destruction of so much in the core. Another being the Rialto Theatre on 101 st. The last movie house that had the original crank projector still entact prior to it's fate.

unless the church - or someone else - has removed them, the projecters were still in the paramount the last time i was in the booth...

[Alex.L]

Rialto Theatre? Where is/was that?

*EDIT* googled. Demolished to make room for Commerce Place I assume? Or am I looking at the wrong side of 101st?

[NielCole]

They should at least keep the facade of the BMO building on Jasper at 101st. Its in good shape and could be a reminder of the building that once stood there.

[NielCole]

Originally Posted by Ander

Rialto Theatre? Where is/was that?

*EDIT* googled. Demolished to make room for Commerce Place I assume? Or am I looking at the wrong side of 101st?

It was on the west side of 101st ( I remember seeing the Posiden Adventure there when I was a kid in 1972.....)

[Sonic Death Monkey]

C'mon guys, there's already like 5 threads on BMO demo already!

[Alex.L]

Originally Posted by darrellinyvr

It was on the west side of 101st ( I remember seeing the Posiden Adventure there when I was a kid in 1972.....)

so right around where Lux is?

[NielCole]

yup......

[2ksmom]

I've been looking for a few old pictures of buildings on the internet with little success. Has anyone ever come accross the following old black & white pics:
Rutherford House (not the brick one buth the one on display at Fort Edmonton Park)

Reed's Bazaar (Lee Block) I can only find one of the building burning down.

Any help would be appreciated.

[NielCole]

Originally Posted by 2ksmom

I've been looking for a few old pictures of buildings on the internet with little success. Has anyone ever come accross the following old black & white pics:
Rutherford House (not the brick one buth the one on display at Fort Edmonton Park)

Reed's Bazaar (Lee Block) I can only find one of the building burning down.

Any help would be appreciated.

If you cannot find anything on the web try the City's Historical
Archives Facility at the Armoury just south of the RAH off of Kingsway. They have a huge collection of historical and newspaper photo's of lost buildings in Edmonton. They will print copies of the articles and photos for you as well.

Good luck.

[drouinr]

All very interesting.

Can someone tell me what hotels or rooming houses might have existed in 1916 in the vicinity of the Prince of Wales Armoury? I'm wondering where would-be soldiers from out of town might have stayed before hitting the recruitment offices (to join the No. 2 Construction Battalion).

Fears occasioned by Negros’ settling in Edmonton and surrounding communities were reflected in the statements of a number of organizations ranging from the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire (IODE) to the Edmonton Trades and Labour Council and the Edmonton Board of Trade.Edmonton city council demanded the immediate segregation of all Negros. The offices of various downtown establishments, including Watson Realty, Union Bank, Windsor Hotel, King Edward Hotel, Merchants’ Bank, and the Board of Trade displayed it. The Edmonton Capital reprinted it in its entirety on Tuesday, April 25, 1911.

So, given this, you can understand the specificity of my question. While I disagree with the discriminatory stance, many accommodations available to Whites were nevertheless not available to persons of colour.

If you can help me out -- and maybe give me an idea what it might have cost per night -- I'd be very grateful.

[Arsoys]

It's so easy to choose between gooey sentimental nostalgia and progress.

Which is why Edmonton has had so little of the second.

[cnr67]

Originally Posted by Arsoys

It's so easy to choose between gooey sentimental nostalgia and progress.Which is why Edmonton has had so little of the second.

No. it's due to a lack of appreciation for one's heritage and the envisioning of incorporating it into the progress within the city. There's nothing gooey about what we threw in in the garbage in haste and stupidity. Rather a sublime disgust toward those too narrow minded to understand thier actions then or now.

[Arsoys]

Originally Posted by cnr67

No. it's due to a lack of appreciation for one's heritage and the envisioning of incorporating it into the progress within the city. There's nothing gooey about what we threw in in the garbage in haste and stupidity. Rather a sublime disgust toward those too narrow minded to understand thier actions then or now.

How much more sentimental can you get?

All esthetic judgements are entirely subjective. (Here's one that's as good as yours: every one of the destroyed buildings deserved its fate but good.)

The economic needs that replace one structure with another are not subjective.

Take out your sublime disgust on the empty spaces that lie.

[Edmcowboy11]

There have been a number of buildings that have been torn down and lost in this city that were not destroyed because of progress. Two more recent examples are the Arlington and the Gem theatre. In both cases you have a owner/developer that had no regard for history and also no real interest in progress. If progress is to be made it has to be a whole lot more than just an empty lot.

[24karat]

I remember sadly when City Council agreed to tear down the upper floors of the CPR building on Jasper Avenue, leaving only the lower floor(s) for Hop's Handbags. *sigh*

[MylesC]

Originally Posted by 24karat

I remember sadly when City Council agreed to tear down the upper floors of the CPR building on Jasper Avenue, leaving only the lower floor(s) for Hop's Handbags. *sigh*

Just a quick nit-pick....

The entire Hop's/DG building is a new construction. Pieces of the original facade were saved and tacked on the front of the original building in a configuration that is close but not identical to the original form.

[cnr67]

Originally Posted by MylesC

Just a quick nit-pick....

The entire Hop's/DG building is a new construction. Pieces of the original facade were saved and tacked on the front of the original building in a configuration that is close but not identical to the original form.

I volunteered for the Alberta Railway Museum at the time of demolition and was granted access to salvage several chandelier hangers from the suspended interior ceilings and an oil painting from a false wall cavity. The painting went to the museum just North of the city and the hangers went to Cranbrook.

[KC]

Originally Posted by Edmcowboy11

There have been a number of buildings that have been torn down and lost in this city that were not destroyed because of progress. Two more recent examples are the Arlington and the Gem theatre. In both cases you have a owner/developer that had no regard for history and also no real interest in progress. If progress is to be made it has to be a whole lot more than just an empty lot.

What has happened with the Central Pentecostal Tabernacle site? Last I saw it, it was a pit in the ground.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjourna...97a4f1&k=74198

Hemingway's architectural legacy deserves city's protection
By Paula Simons
They are two of Edmonton's most singular and striking buildings.
THE EDMONTON JOURNAL JULY 20, 2006

"But at what cost to the city and its soul? If we keep knocking down our cool modern architecture, what will we have left to preserve in 50 years?...

Mistaya is undaunted. These buildings, she argues, give Edmonton integrity and character.

"I think it's foolish for the city to replace good design with a condo that looks like every other building in the city," she says. "It's obvious that this is just an economic decision. It's all about money.

"My father came to Edmonton because he believed it was a place where you could have a vision, where you could have a dream and you could create it. Everything he gave to the city of Edmonton is of quality. His voice and his vision speak to the city every day, through his buildings. As they start to crumble, I feel like everything he stood for is starting to crumble."

Mistaya suggests the buildings could be turned into a theatre or concert venue or community centre, a public space that could become a downtown asset."...

[NielCole]

Still a fenced off pit with a rundown defaced billboard showing a "soon to be built" condo I believe.

[IanO]

Developer went bankrupt I believe. Now in the hands of someone else and selling

[jagators63]

why are in the first place that developers went to city planning for approval to built one ??

[Spill]

Originally Posted by 24karat

I remember sadly when City Council agreed to tear down the upper floors of the CPR building on Jasper Avenue, leaving only the lower floor(s) for Hop's Handbags. *sigh*

The upper floors were an addition to the original building, iirc.

[kkozoriz]

EDMONTON - An effort is underway to preserve a rugged and unlikely historical building — an Edmonton Journal paper shack.

The squat wooden sheds, smaller than a single-car garage, used to dot neighbourhoods across the city and came alive after school let out as thousands of teenage boys lined up for their bundles of the afternoon paper.

A handful of shacks are left, including one at 95th Street and 102nd Avenue a developer would like to donate.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/...185/story.html

[Edmcowboy11]

I find it unfortunate that Fort Edmonton isn't interested in these peices of history.

[NielCole]

Originally Posted by Edmcowboy11

I find it unfortunate that Fort Edmonton isn't interested in these peices of history.

I can remember one out in the westend in Elmwood after my parents bought the house in 1965. They bought the last one (the showhome) in a developement built by "Quality Homes" (Now Qualico) Tucked in the back of a house in the corner of the crescent was a portion of land that was not part of that lot in the alley that had a Edmonton Power substation on it and a Edmonton Journal paper shack. That the "older" paperboys hit after school since it was only a evening paper back then.

It was on 164th Street and 79th Avenue (The gravel road on the edge of the city) It is now the Whitemud.

Once all of these disappear only then will Fort Edmonton Park want one probably. Then recreate one instead of getting an original. They always seem to miss their chance at an original then lose the opportunity.

Look at the reconstructed Alberta Hotel Block. It was supposed to go to Fort Edmonton when they ripped it down. But thankfully the gods said NO and the facade went back where it belonged downtown.

A victory for everyone can walk past that piece of history for free. Maybe someone will restore a Paper Shack and just let Edmontonians see it like they really used to be.
Tucked away in a real neighbourhood being used for something practical.

[Komrade]

Thats neat! Something I have seen many times, I had no idea it had so much history! It would be great if someone could step in to save at least 1.

The city has shown time and time again that we fumble with our history. We need a private citizen dedicated to Edmontons past with lots of $$$ to step up and help us!!

[kkozoriz]

I'd like to see the Journal sponsor the movement and refurbishment of one of the remaining shacks to Fort Edmonton as well as keeping one in it's original location.

Not all our history has to be big, brick buildings. Sometimes it's the little things that hold the deepest memories.

I wonder if there's any of the old bus stop benches left anywhere. The green ones that said "Rest and read The Journal"

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Dec. 18, 1962: Spectators cheer on firefighters battling Selkirk Hotel fire

Despite the efforts of 450 firefighters, a $1-million fire destroyed the popular and prestigious Selkirk Hotel at the southwest corner of 101st Street and Jasper Avenue.

The fire was believed to have started in the Ice Room, a gathering spot for bellhops on the central second floor of the nearly 60-year-old hotel. The three-storey building was just north of the current location of the Edmonton Journal.

Desk clerk Bill Stovold sounded the first alarm at midnight after a panic-stricken guest ran downstairs screaming, “Fire!”

More than 500 spectators gathered outside to cheer on firefighters.

Police officers carried suitcases, jewelry, papers and furniture out of the inferno. One constable had to forcibly restrain an overwrought man when he tried to run inside to search for documents.

Twenty people rushed into the neighbouring United Cigar Store — not to plunder, but to form a salvage line. Thanks largely to their efforts, most of the store’s contents were saved.

Fifty-six of the Selkirk’s 97 rooms were destroyed and many of the remaining rooms were heavily damaged by smoke and water. The nearby 1,200-seat Empress Theatre reported extensive smoke damage.

The Selkirk’s classy basement eatery, Johnson’s Cafe, had opened in 1920 and was long a favourite landmark. “Meet me under the clock at Johnson’s” became a common Edmonton catchphrase.

Fine wines, liquor and cigars were the order of the day in the hotel’s Mahogany Room, which for several years claimed the title of North America’s longest bar.

The Selkirk Hotel and the Empress Theatre were demolished the following September to make way for the Royal Bank building, which still stands today. A replica of the Selkirk was built from the original blueprints and has stood on 1920 Street in Fort Edmonton Park since 2002.

[AShetsen]

Two lost buildings I miss although no one else I know seems to are the old U of A hospital and the original Edmonton Art Gallery.

[overoceans]

I know the pros and cons of this demolition were debated all over the place on C2E, but I really miss Central Pentecostal Tabernacle.

Okay, it didn't technically qualify as heritage(built in '72), but it was a heckuva lot more interesting than any other building in that area. And they tear it down to put up condos or whatever, and then let the lot stay empty for years(is anything going up there yet?)

It would've been nice if the developers had at least agreed to include the front of the pyramid in their plans.

[cnr67]

Hard to imagine a city with so much of it's heritage structures in place.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryansc...in/photostream

[IanO]

Being the end of the line and avoiding speculative boom busts sure helped... the real shame is not having to imagine a lot of those buildings empty, boarded up or underused (although slowly improving).

[dnproulx]

hello all,

I have grown up in edmonton, and I am a student in the Masters of Urban Studies at Simon Fraser university. For one of my classes I am tasked to do a case study. I was hoping to do something concerning the vast demolition of buildings in downtown edmonton during the 70's. Does any one have any information on where I could find some of Edmontons older city planning documents or papers or articles concerning the history of Edmonton.

Thanks in advance I appreciate any help!

[GenWhy?]

https://hermis.alberta.ca/paa/PhotoG...bjectID=A15023
Just found this building, any idea where it was?

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

https://hermis.alberta.ca/paa/PhotoG...bjectID=A15023
Just found this building, any idea where it was?

It may have been 10708 Whyte Avenue.

http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/news...%22%7C%7Cscore

[NielCole]

Originally Posted by dnproulx

hello all,

I have grown up in edmonton, and I am a student in the Masters of Urban Studies at Simon Fraser university. For one of my classes I am tasked to do a case study. I was hoping to do something concerning the vast demolition of buildings in downtown edmonton during the 70's. Does any one have any information on where I could find some of Edmontons older city planning documents or papers or articles concerning the history of Edmonton.

Thanks in advance I appreciate any help!

I would suggest the Edmonton Municipal Archives (they are located in the old Armoury off Kingsway. And should be online for inquires or connections though they do not actually have a webesite.

The Alberta Provincial Archives have a website you can try also try the Glenmore in Calgary has they have a very strong provincial data base while focuses on Southern Alberta they may have some good info inregards to Edmonton as well.

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by TerryH

It may have been 10708 Whyte Avenue.

http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/news...%22%7C%7Cscore

I wonder if the building may have suffered a fire. Nothing really on the web about the building or City Grocery outlet #3, which was the corner tenant. Unfortunately, the OurFutureOurPast Edmonton Bulletin section might have some info on when it was built and maybe when it disappeared but it has no searchable database.

Interesting that it was 10708 even though most of the building looks to be fronted onto 107 St..