Hudson’s Bay Building

Location

Calgary, AB

Why it matters

Prominently located on historic Stephen Avenue, the Calgary Hudson’s Bay Company Building is one of the most architecturally and historically significant commercial buildings in western Canada. Completed in 1913 and expanded in 1930 and 1958, the six-storey Edwardian Classical landmark was designed by renowned Toronto firm Burke, Horwood and White. It features Chicago Commercial-style massing, rare cream-glazed terracotta cladding, granite columns, and a sweeping colonnade — making it a showpiece of early 20th-century department store design and Calgary’s first large-scale commercial concrete structure. As a national prototype, Calgary’s Bay building would go on to inspire similar flagships in Vancouver, Victoria, and Winnipeg — setting the tone for a retail empire across the West. 

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Why it's endangered

The collapse of the Hudson’s Bay Company has put this and other landmark Bay buildings at risk. Now vacant, the future of the Calgary Bay Building is uncertain. The Hudson’s Bay Company has announced the closure of nearly all its remaining stores across Canada. Earlier this year, the Calgary building’s financial caretaker stated it will no longer inject capital into the site.  Former historic Bay stores in other cities, including Winnipeg, are finding new life as housing and cultural hubs.    

Despite its architectural merit and deep social legacy the Calgary Bay building lacks formal heritage designation, leaving it vulnerable to demolition and redevelopment.