| Architect: William Dodd who also designed
Calgary’s sandstone City Hall.
Original cost: $20,000
Original owner:
Senator James
Alexander Lougheed and his wife Isabella Clarke Hardisty Lougheed. James
and Isabella, grandparents of Alberta's former Premier Peter
Lougheed, played a key role in the history of Calgary and
Alberta. J.A. Lougheed was one of Calgary’s early lawyers
in partnership with the future Prime Minister of Canada,
R.B.Bennett . He was also a land agent for the CPR and
the Hudson’s Bay Company, real estate developer,
director of Canada Life Assurance and founding member of the Law Society of Alberta.
Lougheed was a senator for 36 years and a federal cabinet
minister. He was knighted by King George V in 1916, the
only Albertan to ever receive that honour. In 1911
Lougheed established a brokerage firm, Lougheed and
Taylor. The company owned the Lougheed Grand Building,
Empire Block, Clarence Block, Norman Block, Turner Block,
Alexander Corner and the Glanville Block.
Construction materials: Sandstone and brick.
Historical highlights:
- Lougheed built four
commercial blocks in the heart of downtown
Calgary and named them after each of his sons -
Norman, Clarence, Douglas and Edgar. The Clarence
Block (1892) and the neighboring Norman Block
(1899) were both designed by William Dodd.
- At 2:30 a.m.
December 25th, 1900 fire broke out in the
Clarence Block and quickly spread to the new
Norman Block next door. The fire destroyed the
$35,000 Clarence and gutted the Norman. Tenants
of the Norman Block, Glanville and Robertson dry
goods store and the Calgary Clothing Company,
suffered heavy losses. Total damage to buildings
and businesses was estimated at about $200,000.
Senator Lougheed lost an extensive law library
and all his office furnishings in the blaze. The
morning after the fire he vowed to begin
rebuilding immediately. "A big gang of men
will likely be put to work on the Norman Block
right away and the premises will be ready for the
occupancy of Glanville and Robertson in a very
few weeks." By February 1901 both buildings
were re-opened for business.
- Disaster struck
again January 15, 1904 when the "worst fire
in the history of the city" destroyed the
Norman Block , burning out " Glanville and
Company dry goods store, the new Normandie
Theatre, Dr. Edmonds (dentist), The Great Life
West office, Dr. Ernest Willis (physician), Dr.
Aull (physician), E.S.Sales (clothier), Kerr and
Tirril (grocer), D.J.Young and Company (stationer
and musical instruments). Once again Lougheed
rebuilt.
- Over the years the
Norman Block housed offices and retail stores and
theatres. Tenants included Calgary architect
F.J.Lawson (designed Knox Church) and
Lougheed’s Lyric Theatre which opened on
September 5, 1904 with Miss Jessie Shirley and
Company playing "The Ironmaster."
- In 1911 a fire
which started in a clothing store owned by Tommy
Burns (the only Canadian to win the world’s
heavyweight boxing championship), gutted the
Norman Block for the third time in 11 years.
- On Friday July 21,
1933 a fourth fire ripped through the Norman
which was "practically gutted from front to
rear and basement to top floor." Again the
Lougheed family rebuilt on the same site.
- By 1982, the
original building façade had been covered with
blue fibreglass and much of the original
architectural detail had been removed.
In 1996,
Winners and Opus Development struck a deal to
update the building for use as a 25,000 square
foot retail outlet. In May 1997 Winners opened
their fifth Calgary store in the renovated 8th
Avenue Norman Block
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