King Edward Hotel (Calgary)
The King Edward Hotel (also known as the "King Eddy") is a former hotel in Calgary, Alberta. After being abandoned, it was incorporated it into the Downtown East Village revitalization project.
King Edward Hotel | |
 The King Edward Hotel prior to its reconstruction | |
| Address | 438 9th Ave SE, Calgary, Alberta Canada |
|---|---|
| Owner | Cantos Music Foundation (2008) |
| Type | Hotel, Blues bar |
| Current use | National Music Center |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1905–1910 |
History
The King Edward Hotel was built in phases between 1905 and 1910 on 9th Avenue Southeast. It housed one of Calgary's oldest bars, and used to form part of what was dubbed "Whisky Row", a stretch of hotels that sprang up along Ninth Avenue to serve travellers on the nearby railroad. During Alberta’s brief prohibition in the 1920s, the hotel was busted on more than one occasion for serving alcohol[1]. The hotel later made history as one of the city's first establishments to serve black and white patrons in the same room.
By the 1940s, the area had gained a seedy reputation. The bar became a working-class hangout known for its cheap beer, and the rooms above it were soon rented out for longer periods to low-income tenants. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Eddy became a blues bar. It was the oldest such bar in the city, and the oldest continuously operating hotel. It closed its doors in 2004.
In 2012, the inside and outside of the building were scanned for historical preservation, and to assist in the design of the National Music Centre. A subset of the exterior scan can be viewed as the building existed before being dismantled in 2013.[2]
Incorporation in National Music Centre
In May 2008, the National Music Centre was selected through a competitive process to work with Calgary Municipal Land Corporation on the King Eddy rejuvenation project.
In October 2013, crews started the tedious task of taking the century-old hotel apart brick-by-brick. The bricks were wrapped and stored on pallets inside a shipping container to preserve them while crews worked to reassemble the structure. Even the hotel's front door step was saved to be used again.
The $168 million National Music Centre, including the rebuilt King Edward Hotel, opened in 2016. The National Music Centre includes performance spaces, recording studios, broadcasting facilities and an extensive collection of artifacts including the Canada Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.[3]
Re-opening as live venue
In 2018, the King Edwared Hotel reopened as a permanent live music venue[4]
References
- Sanders, Harry (Autumn 2003). "Calgary's King Edward Hotel". Alberta History.
- "King Edward Flyby". Nathan Prins, Alberta Land Surveyor, WATT Consulting Group.
- "King Eddy hotel dismantled, pieces stored meticulously". CBC.
- "Historic King Eddy to be revived as live music venue". Calgary Herald.