| Architect:
The Chandler Kennedy
Architectural Group. They also designed the city’s
Glenbow Museum and Convention Centre and the Alberta
Government Telephones building.
Structural Engineer: Stanley associates Engineering
Ltd.
Mechanical Engineer: MHL and Associates Ltd.
Electrical Engineer: Klein Dashevsky and Associates
Ltd.
Contractor:
CANA Construction
Company – superstructure. Other contractors were
also involved in the project.
Original
cost:
$45.8 million. The
Treasury Board originally approved $21.4 million for the
project. According to the Auditor General’s 1979
audit report published in April 1980, $10.9 million of
the overrun was attributed to inflation, $4 million to
extra costs such as consultant fees, change orders, etc.,
and $9.5 million for interim financing during
construction, tenant fit – ups and other costs.
Construction materials:
Public Works Canada. In
1980, the one hundred and thirty - nine - year old
Department described itself as "the country’s
largest realtor." "Public Works purchases land
and other real property, constructs buildings, rents
premises, and maintains, improves and operates most
federal buildings."
Original interior
details:
Eight levels of office
and retail space totaling 520,000 square feet. A brochure
published by Public Works around 1980, describes the
design of the building. "The first two floors were
designed as attractive public service areas with a mall,
atrium and spacious square providing access to a garden
terrace on the second level. Two wings are located on the
third floor which gradually recesses into upper stories
creating a pyramid – shaped structure. These soft
contours provide a graceful transition from the low Bow
River to the high rise structures of Calgary’s city
core."
Historical highlights:
- Built on a 5.6 acres adjacent to the Bow River on
primarily residential property. Relocation of
residents and demolition of structures on the
site began in 1974. According to a history of
Calgary’s Chinese community called Our
Chosen Land "some 180 Chinatown residents
had to be relocated " to accommodate the new
federal government building, although technically
the area was outside the Chinatown boundaries
approved by city government in January 1974.
- Construction began in February 1976 and during
the excavation more than 100 bison bones were
uncovered.
- In 1978 the building won honourable mention in
the City of Calgary’s Urban Design Award.
- A competition was held asking the public to
submit suitable names. A 1979 Calgary Herald
article reported that "Public Works Canada
Seeks Help on Name." Bob Hill, regional
information officer with the department said
" a suitable name would be that of a
deceased person closely identified with the
city’s or the province’s past, or at
least well – known." In the meantime it
was called the Government of Canada Building.
- Government departments and agencies began moving
in during 1979. The National Film Board became
the first resident in January. It was estimated
that the building would eventually accommodate
2,000 employees and consolidate about twenty
federal government departments previously located
throughout the city.
- The building wasn’t officially opened until
two years later on November 17, 1980. The
Honourable Paul Cosgrove, Minister of Public
Works, and Senator Bud Olson, Minister of State
for Economic Development, opened the structure as
the Harry Hays Building. Cosgrove explained to
reporters, " we decided to name the building
after Senator Hays in September, before he became
a chairman of the Committee (the Senate Commons
Committee studying Ottawa’s constitutional
reform package). Cosgrove indicated that it was
the first federal structure to be named after a
living person. "We have a guideline that
says buildings should be named only after people
who are no longer living, but I and many others
don’t agree with that. As far as I’m
concerned it’s now the Harry Hays
Building." During the dedication ceremonies,
16 demonstrators from a group called Committee
for Better Government stood quietly in the lobby
with placards which read "Solve the federal
debt—rob an Albertan," "We need
the east like a fish needs a bicycle," and
"Tar and Sand Trudeau."
- On September 24, 1982, four months after the
death of Harry Hays, a ceremony was held to
reaffirm the dedication of the Harry Hays
building. Hays, born December 25, 1909 in
Carstairs, Alberta had been Calgary mayor from
1959 to 1963, elected Liberal M.P. for Calgary
South in 1963 (became federal Liberal minister of
Agriculture), appointed to Senate in 1966 and in
1980 co-chaired of the Senate-Commons committee
which studied Ottawa’s constitutional reform
package. Hays died May 4, 1982.
- The Harry Hays Building was " the last
Federal Government structure for which original
works of art were commissioned." Six
artists, four of them local were commissioned
following the competition involving more than 100
entrants -Annemarie Schmid Esler, David Gilhooly,
Joyce Hall, Henry Saxe, Wendy Toogood and Alan
Wood.
- On August 25, 1986, artist Joe Chomistek of
Scandia, Alberta donated rock carvings of the map
of Canada and the Coat of Arms which are now on
permanent display on the grounds of the Harry
Hays Building.
|
