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Calgary (Royal Canadian) Legion #1
Calgary
Other Names:
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Memorial Hall
Royal Canadian Legion Calgary (Alberta No. 1) Branch
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Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The Calgary (Royal Canadian) Legion #1, built in 1922, is two-storey symmetrical building with red-brick facade trimmed with sandstone. It features a central double-arched entranceway, round-arch window surrounds, and the words "1914 GREAT WAR VETERANS CLUB 1919" and "CANADIAN LEGION" across its frieze and parapet. The building faces the busy 7 Avenue C-Train line in downtown Calgary
Heritage Value
Opened as Memorial Hall in 1922, this was Calgary's primary built commemoration of Canadians' World War I military service and sacrifice.
It has been the long-time headquarters of Calgary's first branch of Canada's premier organization established to serve and advocate for veterans, and promote remembrance.
This branch had its roots in 1916, when several men returning to Calgary from WWI service in Europe formed a mutual aid society, one of many established around the country. This became the Calgary Branch of the Great War Veterans Association when that group formed in 1917. This branch advanced the "Calgary Resolution" in 1919, a well-publicized, though unsuccessful, proposal for federal remuneration of soldiers' lost civilian wages during their service overseas. In 1926 the branch voted to join the new Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League (called the Royal Canadian Legion as of 1961), receiving its charter as the Calgary (Alberta No. 1) Branch the next year. The national group helped establish November 11 as a national day of remembrance in 1932; its related Poppy Campaign raises funds for veterans in need. In the 1950s the organization added a community service role.
First using rented space, the Calgary branch planned a purpose-built structure to both house its activities (including its monthly members meetings) and serve as a war memorial. The much-publicized building opened with a ceremony and celebration.
This is a Classical Revival building, as seen in its restrained, symmetrical facade with mainly flat surface and limited, classically inspired ornament. The round (Roman) arches of its two-storey entranceway and its window surrounds distinguish it as an Roman-influenced subtype of the style, which is uncommon in Calgary.
A key feature was the 1,000-seat hall--two-stories high topped by skylights--built with steel trusses to eliminate the need for pillars. It has a notably large wood spring floor for dancing. There were also offices, club rooms, lounges, a billiards room (which still has original tables), canteen, barber shop, and janitor's quarters. Renovations in 1961 cut the hall's height and floor-space, but added a dining room and kitchen beside it, more social and meeting areas above, and a war memorial in the foyer.
This building has provided space for veterans' services, for drop-in and scheduled recreational and social activities for past and current military and their families, and for community meetings and events.
From the start, the branch aided returning veterans through employment and housing offices, assistance with pensions, and short-term financial help. It briefly ran a home for children orphaned by the war. Aided by its Ladies' Auxiliary, the branch has provided diverse other outreach to veterans and active service members, including hospital visits, outings, gifts of food and goods, Christmas dinners for jobless veterans (started during the Depression), and family Christmas parties. The branch owned the Rotary Park Recreation Centre in the 1970s to '90s. The branch continues to lead Remembrance Day and other commemorative events, including the local Poppy Campaign--often aided by the Air Cadet squadron it sponsors--and hosts province-wide Legion gatherings. It also donates money and items to diverse children's, youth, and seniors' organizations.
The building is also used by others. In 1926, after the Leduc oil strike, the hall was briefly rented to 8 oil brokerage firms. In the 1930s the hall was converted into a basketball court used by a ladies league. Community organizations are given free use of meeting rooms and the hall, for example for Child Welfare Week which was held there annually from 1921 into the 1950s. The hall is also rented out for events from weddings to rock concerts to professional wrestling.
As a long-standing, distinctive structure with prominent signage on the busy 7 Av C-Train line downtown, this building is a city landmark.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of the Calgary (Royal Canadian) Legion #1 include such features as:
- two-storey mainly symmetrical, rectangular structure, 7-bays wide, with full raised basement;
- flat roof with partial mansard roof on raised centre section (over metal truss roof system); parapet with raised middle portion;
- reinforced concrete construction faced in red brick in stretcher bond; sandstone doorway surround, sills, and edges of lintels; concrete foundation (now faced in ashlar sandstone; original facing unknown) with granite footer;
- mainly symmetrical facade fenestration pattern, with central main doorway, off-centre secondary doorway, evenly spaced rectangular window openings;
- brick round-arch window surrounds with sandstone keystones, partially filled in with stucco and decorative brick inserts; moulded tin cornice; brick soldier course under frieze; other sandstone ornamentation including moulded door hood with moulded centre bracket, moulded Roman arch on second storey above entranceway, moulded lower edging of frieze, square inserts in frieze;
- raised lettering: "CANADIAN LEGION" on parapet, "1914 GREAT WAR VETERANS CLUB 1919" on frieze; painted lettering on west (1993) and rear elevations; "MEMBERS" engraved on sandstone panel over off-centre front doorway;
- front central flagpole;
- rear brick chimney with flat cap;
- interior features including exposed 2nd-storey angled roof struts; raised performance stage; large wood spring dance floor; murals in hall (1949, 1961); memorial area with eternal flame, mural, marble-block wall covering (1961); oak wall panelling, brass railings, etched glass (1980s); and
- built to front property line facing a busy downtown avenue.
Location
| Street Address: |
116 - 7 Avenue SE |
| Community: |
Calgary |
| Boundaries: |
Lots 30 to 32, Block 42, Plan A |
| Contributing Resources: |
Buildings: 1
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ATS Legal Description:
PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):
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Plan |
Block |
Lot |
Parcel |
A
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42
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30-32
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Latitude/Longitude:
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Latitude |
Longitude |
CDT |
Datum Type |
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51.04656 |
-114.06181 |
GPS |
NAD83 |
UTM Reference:
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Northing |
Easting |
Zone |
CDT |
Datum Type |
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Recognition
| Recognition Authority: |
Local Governments (AB) |
| Designation Status: |
Municipal Historic Resource |
| Date of Designation: |
2018/11/12 |
Historical Information
| Built: |
1922 to 1922 |
| Period of Significance: |
1919 to 1929 |
| Theme(s): |
Building Social and Community Life : Community Organizations
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| Historic Function(s): |
Community : Social, Benevolent or Fraternal Club
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| Current Function(s): |
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| Architect: |
John Edward Burrrell and James Base
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| Builder: |
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| Context: |
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Additional Information
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