2024 Heritage Calgary Awards

Winner of the 2024 Heritage Calgary Award,
Resource Conservation (Residential):
Glenwood Manor

Located in the Northwest community of Sunnyside, Glenwood Manor is a 1928 Georgian Revival style, 12-unit residential building with a Spanish and Arts & Crafts interior. The original 1928 roof required repair and the Board of Directors of the building wanted to maintain the original metal roof tiles. All original tiles were able to be successfully reused, allowing the building to maintain its original historic character.

Heritage Calgary connected with Sano Stante, President of the Board of Directors of Glenwood Manor, to answer a few questions about the project and Glenwood Manor.

Can you describe the main goal of your initiative and the inspiration behind it?

Glenwood Manor was built in 1928 and we knew that there would be some repairs needed. The building does still have its original roof, which means it is coming up on 100 years old. A hundred year old roof is going to experience issues, or even fail at some point, so we chose to be proactive. Our timing was almost perfect, and this whole project was about six years from thinking about it to actually getting it done. 

What makes this project or site particularly significant to the local community and its history?

Glenwood Manor has had a history of prominent or interesting residents over the years and it is a nearly unique building in Calgary, one that catches eyes and turns heads as people go by. That’s part of why we are committed to preserving its history and heritage.

The building is right along Memorial Drive in a pretty prominent location. It’s an iconic building in the city, we don’t have many like it. The design is a blend of Georgian Revival on the exterior and Arts and Crafts inside. That contrast of styles has honestly been complimentary to the building, but the combination of the two really makes it stand out.

It's also noteworthy that Glenwood Manor is directly across the road from the Peace Bridge. It really signals the connection between modern Calgary and its prosperity, linking back to the Roaring 20s and the boom Calgary experienced at that time. It’s a neat link to see Calgary’s past and present reflected in such a way.

How has this initiative helped engage the public or specific groups, such as youth or residents, in the project?

Everyone in this building, residents or owners, are here because they love the building and its location. We receive calls all the time from people who want to live in the building. They are floored by the architecture and that something like this exists in Calgary. There really aren’t enough remaining examples of this period of architecture and design in Calgary. The arts and crafts style and that era of craftsmanship is not something easily found and we are pretty happy to continue to preserve it.

What challenges or considerations did you face in preserving or promoting local heritage through this initiative?

 It was a painstaking process to repair the roof. Each individual tile needed to be removed, numbered, cleaned, repaired and then placed again on the roof. The roof is made of metal tiles and it’s, again, not a roof style we see much in Calgary. What’s incredible is every tile is original and we were able to clean and reuse every single tile. So while the roof looks shiny and new, it is, in fact, the original 1928 roof.

Why do you think it's important for people to understand and appreciate the history and heritage of this particular area?

We don’t have a lot of deep history in Calgary. Our past here isn’t something we think about a lot. Culture is a very important aspect of a community. For Sunnyside, but also for Calgary as a whole, it’s important to know where we and our city came from. Learning that history and exploring it enriches our community and helps us all to stay grounded as well.

Looking forward, how do you see this project continuing or evolving in the future to engage more people or further preserve local heritage?

Yes, we're looking at a project of the rear porch structure, the rear veranda, and that's going to be an interesting project. We've left it this long because it hasn't been a top priority due to the fact that it's not weathering, there's no water damage as of now. So it's really, it's been lower in priority, but it's now rising to the top of the list.

The Heritage Calgary Awards celebrate the diverse heritage of our shared home. Every second year we honour those who have made efforts to identify, preserve, and promote heritage in Calgary to help enrich our communities.