Lougheed Block &

The Grand Theatre

A point of interest on the Discover Downtown Calgary GPS-guided audio walking tour.

Press play & listen to the tour audio!

Audio Transcript

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On your right you'll see a magnificent skyscraper called Brookfield place. Just past that, on the other side of the road, you'll see a large red brick building that like a hotel or an apartment building.

That's the Lougheed Block!

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We're going to talk about this building for a minute or two, so if you want to safely cross the street while I talk go ahead.

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For the majority of the 1900’s, this block was a hub of commercial activity!

Completed in 1912, this building is a prime example of the city’s immense growth of commercial structures right before World War One! With that attitude in mind, it was designed in the Chicago style of architecture, which embodied an optimistic view of Alberta’s economy. It was originally owned by Senator Sir James A. Lougheed, which is where the building’s name comes from.

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Senator Lougheed was a very prestigious citizen of Calgary at the time, being a successful lawyer and businessman. While he owned a great amount of land, one of the other more prominent properties is actually his own residence not that far away!

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Now you may also have noticed a sign on the building that says "The Grand". This is actually a theatre!

Its full name is The Sherman Grand Opera House and it was built all the way back in1912! Although it housed a number of offices and stores when it first opened, its reputation as a theatre quickly grew. They not only held shows, but also a number of high-profile social and political events! They would also attract some pretty big names at the time, including the Marx Brothers, Fred Astaire, and George Burns!

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Today it still continues its theatrical activities, now being a centre for contemporary performing arts!

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