Heritage Calgary is thrilled about the outcome of the heritage artifacts auction, hosted by Levis Fine Art Auctions & Appraisals, which wrapped up on April 18 2021. The auction listed historic pieces of city architecture that needed a new home after sitting in storage for years, including sculpted concrete bison heads and crests from the Centre Street Bridge, as well as the painted tin sign and cornices from the Queens Hotel. In the end the auction raised $65,000 to fund the heritage plaque program – the top bid was an incredible $10,000 for one of the bison heads.

To date, applicants have had to purchase their own plaque if they wanted to recognize the heritage value of their property. Now, properties that have been formally designated as Municipal Historic Resources (MHRs) starting in 2021 can obtain a plaque for their property at no cost to them, should they wish to celebrate and share the history of their property.

This is a big step for Heritage Calgary and more closely aligns us with heritage organizations in other major Canadian cities who understand and value their built heritage. This is made possible by every individual who bid on and were ultimately successful in the heritage artifacts auction.

The first recipient of the plaque program has already been selected. We look forward to sharing this story with our community in the coming months!