#SAVESTEPEHENAVE

TAKE ACTION TO #SAVE STEPHENAVE

1 / Contact Mayor Gondek

Let Mayor Gondek know that citizens care about preserving heritage and vibrancy in Calgary. Contact Mayor Gondek now.

2 / Contact your ward councillor

Wherever you live in the city, contact your councillor to let them know you are opposed to the development – Stephen Avenue is main street for all Calgarians! Contact your councillor now.

3 / Contact Terry Wong (Ward 7 Councillor)

Terry Wong is the Councillor for the Ward that the block is located in.  Contact Councillor Wong now.

4 / Contact the City File Manager, Gareth Webster

Follow the Share Your Comments link on the Development Map (PDMAP), or contact via:

403-268-1528 | gareth.webster@calgary.ca

In your comments, you can cite the following files:

Land Use Redesignation – LOC2022-0074, Development Permit – DP2022-03760, Development Permit – DP2022-02927

5 / Contact Jason Luan (Alberta Minister of Culture)

The Molson’s Bank has been a recognized Provincial Historic Resource since 1979. Contact the Honourable Jason Luan to voice your concern about the development of a provincially recognized historic building.

6 / Contact the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada

Stephen Avenue has National Historic Site district status. Contact the Secretariat of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada to show your concern about the damage to the integrity of a historic site.

Toll-free phone number: 1-855-283-8730

clmhc-hsmbc@pc.gc.ca

6 / Contact the National Trust for Canada

Tell them that you support the Calgary Heritage Initiative Society’s nomination of the Stephen Avenue Historic District for Canada’s Endangered Places List.

Chris Wiebe, Manager, Heritage Policy & Government Relations
National Trust for Canada
613-237-1066 ex. 227 | cwiebe@nationaltrustcanada.ca

Saving Stephen Ave is important to me because…

My ideas for revitalizing the Stephen Ave quarter are…

I am opposed to dedesignating heritage buildings because it undermines our system of heritage protection and opens the door for redevelopment of other protected sites.

This development could put Stephen Ave’s status as a National Historic Site in jeopardy, thus undermining the cultural and economic value it has as a destination for tourism, residents, and film industries.

An application of this magnitude should not proceed without comprehensive City-led public engagement.

The historic fabric of the Stephen Ave streetscape is much more than just the facades of the historic buildings that will be overshadowed by a cantilevered skyscraper  – it includes the integrity of the interior spaces, traditional craftsmanship and materials such as old-growth timber.

The authenticity of a vibrant Stephen Ave will help attract people to live downtown and fill now-empty office buildings. The architecture, the stories of the people, activities an events that came before create a sense of place.

Calgary has a surplus of office space. Why approve more at the expense of heritage?

The City of Calgary has declared a Climate Emergency. Demolishing viable historic buildings releases embodied carbon and sends more waste to the landfill, and new construction has a significant environmental foot print.

Proper deconstruction, salvage, and documentation of historical buildings supports local (skilled) jobs in the heritage sector.

If demolition is to occur, materials from the buildings should be salvaged, and building structure/construction methods should be documented by 3D models and detailed photographs. This means deconstruction by hand – not by bulldozer.