Friday marked the last day Eau Claire Market’s doors were open, with work to get underway this summer to demolish the site.
The closure marked a new chapter for the location that boasts a colourful history that even gives a nod to one of Calgary’s first industries, logging. The market’s name was chosen because of three American logging experts who happened to be from Eau Claire, Wisc.
It was a very different area when Eau Claire Market opened to help revitalize the city core near the river, with hopes it would become a destination similar to Vancouver’s Granville Island.
In 1993, Eau Claire Market opened its doors after the removal of the bus barns that formerly resided in the area. Now those doors are closed forever, setting the stage for this summer’s demolition of the space to make way for the Greenline.
While some people are disappointed with the impending demolition, others are excited about what the next chapter will unveil.
City of Calgary project manager Dennis Hoffart said the modern reimagining of the land will meet the needs of far more people than its predecessor.
“We are looking for this plaza to be able to support civic events, cultural events, social events up to three to four thousand people,” Hoffart said, adding that the project is on time and budget to open next year.
“But it’s also going to be flexible enough to support day-to-day activities, social gatherings, you want to meet someone for coffee maybe gather with some friends and play some bocce ball at lunch, throughout the winter, all seasons.”
The new space will also be reengineered to withstand a one in a hundred-year flood and will connect the nearby elements, including the future Eau Claire Market, according to former city councillor Druh Farrell.
“All of this has an opportunity to integrate with Prince’s Island, the Jaipur bridge, the LRT stop, this new development, the pathway system — it all has to knit together.”
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At the time, it was a new kind of mall that Calgarians weren’t accustomed to and the city was keen to open its doors to much fanfare and excitement.
“I have longer ago memories, before I even lived in the area of going to the Imax, coming down here as an event to come down here to see the cool new mall when it was new in the ’90s,” recalled Peg Oneil, area resident and president of the Eau Claire Community Association.
Eau Claire Market was designed to become a connector that attracted Calagrians from every quadrant and Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong fondly refers to the market as a community hub.
“A cornerstone as to where people could come, sit down, have a bite, do some shopping while at the same time enjoying the Prince’s Island Park area,” Wong said.
Over its lifespan, Eau Claire Market has been home to many festivals and events that attracted people to the island while also drawing customers in with local retailers, the Imax theatre and some big-name restaurants such as Joeys, the Barley Mill, the nearby Old Spaghetti Factory and even a Hard Rock Cafe when the market first opened.
“The Hard Rock was there — that was so cool for Calgary to have a Hard Rock, usually we had to go to Vegas or wherever to see a Hard Rock,” Oneil said.
One chapter closes, another opens
But its initial success wasn’t sustainable, and the quirky mall struggled to keep shops occupied and the once-bustling halls quickly faded.
The market’s days have been numbered for years, and when the green line was approved, the once-popular destination’s fate was sealed.
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Now as one iconic era fades out, all of its ups and downs are being remembered as a new one is ushered in.
In normal times it was great. I loved the theatre, I loved the restaurants, spent a lot of time just walking across and hanging out, it was very social, it was really nice,” Oneil added.
Harvard Developments, the company that owns the building, is thanking all of the business owners that called Eau Claire Market home over four decades.
“Though its doors have closed, the spiriting of Eau Claire Market will live on in the hearts of our community forever.”
A bittersweet goodbye — and for some, it’s just bitter
While many businesses in Eau Claire have already moved, for those that haven’t this closing is bittersweet.
At Eau Claire Hair Salon, Saner Zidan spent the last day finishing up with a few appointments. It’s the end of what was a 20-year career in the same location and Zidan is filled with mixed emotions.
“It’s hard to let it go, it’s not my choice. The city sort of made the decision to have something different,” Zidan said. “I have to say it’s a different era, I think it’s going to be great for the future, I guess.”
As for what’s next, Zidan plans to stay in the area – across the street in fact – and he’s looking forward to a fresh start.
Shop owners are not the only ones packing up and moving out. Just across the street from the market, townhouse owners at the River Run are removing the last of their belongings.
The city expropriated the properties to make more room for construction in the area, though the residents have been fighting the move since 2019.
The City of Calgary provided Global News with a statement saying expropriation is never their preferred method of acquisition.
The city said it has “provided proposed payments to the River Run unit owners in accordance with Expropriation Act (Alberta), which are based on independent appraisals.”
— with files from Doug Vaessen and Meghan Cobb