One of the biggest craft distilleries in Canada is going to be housed in a structure that was once a key component of Calgary’s electrical system.
The East Calgary Substation, which was built in 1911 and is situated in the southeast Highfield neighbourhood, once housed one of the first electrical systems that supplied electricity to the expanding city.
historic building to get new life in Calgary industrial zone
It is currently being transformed into a nearly half-hectare area that will house a restaurant, patio, tasting room, distillery, and private event space.
According to True Wild Distillery CEO Bryce Parsons, he happened upon the structure while searching for a possible location for a distillery, and it caught his attention right away.
“I was coming through Highfield Industrial at the time, and all of a sudden I drove by this very odd building for the area. We have this building that, you know, kind of looks like a bank, very estate-like,” Parsons recalled.
“I started realising that this is a piece of Calgary’s history here and that there could be something special.”
Farmland surrounded the substation when it was constructed, and electricity was still a relatively new utility. Parsons claimed that the building’s elegant design was part of a marketing ploy to get people comfortable with future technologies.
According to Parsons, True Wild Distillery’s endeavour now prioritises safeguarding that legacy and using it to their benefit. The crew has made some little adjustments, but they intend to preserve most of the building’s facade.
“I think [the exterior] is the best feature when someone comes up here,” Parsons stated.
According to Parsons, the structure at 3115 11th Street S.E. possesses additional characteristics that make it a suitable location for a distillery. The original, extremely thick concrete walls were cast-in-place or poured on the spot.
“You have to consider that with a distillery, you have to have a certain level of explosion-proof structures, fire barriers, and stuff,” Parsons stated.
Parsons stated that inside, they plan to preserve the existing staircase that lends the room an art-deco vibe and try to include historic electrical elements, including switch boards, in the decor as a tribute to the building’s history.
According to Josh Traptow, CEO of Heritage Calgary, “adaptive re-use” of industrial buildings is becoming more popular for commercial spaces and is a sustainable method of extending existing infrastructure.
“The greenest building is the building that already exists, and I think in a world where we’re very concerned about the climate, why demolish buildings if we don’t have to if they can be repurposed?”
Only a few structures similar to the East Calgary Substation remain from that period in the city’s history, according to Traptow. He thinks that the region’s illustrious past will probably draw tourists.
“It’s good news for heritage in Calgary, and good news for people who like whisky.”
Parsons expects the location will become a destination for Calgary residents seeking an immersive experience because it has a restaurant and a distillery in addition to outdoor space and a parking lot.
“It’s something a little bit different than the hustle and bustle that we see down on 17th Avenue and Stephen Avenue.”
Even though the neighbourhood is still mostly industrial, Parsons believes the distillery might be the first of many new companies to open shop there.
It’s a development situated in one of the oldest industrial zones in Calgary. In addition to honouring the building’s past, our goal is to ignite a flame that will revitalise the surrounding region and lead to the development of other things.”