Eau Claire Market’s days are numbered, and people in Calgary are reminiscing about the role this shopping centre has played in their lives.
Harvard Developments and the City of Calgary announced last year that Eau Claire will close in May 2024 to make way for a new Green Line LRT station.
“The market closing is like an end of era for many people,” said Jacob Adly, owner of The Son of The Pharoah, a shop that specializes in Egyptian decor. “There’s a sentimentality to it.”
The announcement has given Calgarians mixed feelings.
“We’ll definitely lose a lot of the downtown crowd,” said Karen Kimmel, owner of Sanctuary Books. “Downtown for the next 10 years is going to be very messy.”
The mall is located on the north side of the downtown core, near the banks of the Bow River. It is often frequented by people living in the neighborhood, guests of the nearby Sheraton Hotel and patrons drawn to its distinguished stores.
“There’s lots of really fun eclectic places in here where I like buying gifts,” said Patricia Howse, a resident of one of the adjacent condominiums. She believes the mall is not ideal in its current state and could use more foot traffic.
The sentiments about what is to come and the benefits it will bring to Calgary are bittersweet.
“It’s exciting to have transit, but the fact that it’s being demolished is a little sad,” said Ana Morales, a volunteer for Canadian Blood Services who, along with Howse, considers it be a convenient location for the blood bank.
“So sad to see it go but I am always hopeful for the future,” said Adly. “The future’s looking bright.”
“I’m excited to see what comes for this are but I was definitely shocked,” says Kimmel.
Cyclist Peter Erwin says he likes how quiet and relaxing the place can be, but he also figures that quietness is also the reason the mall is being removed.
“The city’s getting bigger and more people need to get around,” he said.
The demolition announcement caused confusion, with some people believing the mall was already closed.
“We’ll have people come in and [they] are surprised the mall is still open,” said Adly.
Kimmel believes the mall still has life left in its remaining months because, “there are still a lot of wonderful businesses open,” and says the Pat Gault Christmas Poetry Reading event will be held on Dec. 9 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Eau Claire Market.
Tenants knew the land redevelopment was going to happen as early as 2006. It has gone through changes and economic setbacks.
“It was not, if this was going to happen, it was really just when,” said Adly. “It was less of a shock than it was like an acknowledgement that it was an inevitability.”
“When we first came to this location, we understood the land was up for redevelopment at some point,” said Kimmel. “The Green Line is something I do believe is necessary.”
Businesses have all been impacted and are dealing with the situation in their own ways.
“It did kind of throw a monkey wrench for some of the businesses here that I think are still recovering from the pandemic,” said Kimmel, who is in the process of finding another location.
Adly is not phased at all and hopes people will know that his 17th Avenue location will remain open for the foreseeable future.
“We’re fortunate to have the second location,” he said.
The former market site will leave behind memories by tenants and patrons of how the mall once felt so alive and with promise.
“I remember the days when we had the IMAX downstairs and the cineplex with a big arcade upstairs, and big events being thrown every week in the summer,” said Adly. “There was always something going on.”
The mall served as a sanctuary from the cold weather for years.
“It was a good place to come in and warm up,” says Howse. “I love this mall but I know that it’s a shell of what it once was.”
