A historical tour found members of the Chestermere Foundation trekking to the west. Not that far west really, but along the busy lanes of downtown Calgary. Our journey took us on a tour of the old St. Regis hotel on 7th ave as well as the Collector’s Gallery in Inglewood. Our morning was topped with a lunch stop at Spolumbos, every bit as tasty as the rave reviews.
The St. Regis hotel is patiently waiting for its next gig. Presently it serves as the Alberta branch for Matthews Development, who were responsible for overseeing the construction of the next door Bow Tower. Debbie and Calista Burnett were our guides giving us the opportunity, with some imagination, to revisit the hotel’s glory days. This art deco inspired hotel fashioned with terra cotta tiles made its debut in Calgary’s robust era of 1913. This was a time in Alberta’s history when railway construction and economic boom promised great opportunities although the drought so to speak came soon after. Even Chestermere Lake was touted as a new holiday destination but the times had their way and this idea too was soon discarded.
Originally called the Grunwald hotel after its manager Carl Grunwald, its name changed to St. Regis when owner A.C Johnstone took over the management in 1917. This may have been because of anti-German sentiment at the time or perhaps even more likely because it was initially a temperance hotel so naming it after a French Saint was certainly appropriate. St. Regis, a French monk who lived in southern France, from 1597 to 1640 was canonized as a patron saint of prostitutes, orphans and lacemakers, the latter because he helped at risk women learn this legitimate trade.
We explored the hotel from top to bottom, while the walls whispered its stories to us. The hotel is a mix of original décor as well as updates. The front foyer still houses the original front check in, and one can imagine the ladies and gents of those early Alberta days arriving off the trail or train, happy to wipe off the dust and put up their feet while looking forward to the excitement of a new unexplored life out west. Like many of the old building still standing, it has its ghosts and tales, like the cowboy who attends the security staff’s safety meetings, talking to the wall and missing his bottom half.
So time will tell what will evolve for this historic site. Perhaps it will host a boutique hotel, a unique office space, or even shelter for those St. Regis loved. It has survived its neighbor the York which although demolished, still has its building materials stacked and organized in storage awaiting its 21 century debut.
Arrivng at Romana Kaspar-Kraft’s Collector’s Gallery in Inglewood was a visual delight. Kraft who is a local of Chestermere, treated us to a private showing of Margaret Shelton’s work. Shelton, who spent time at Chestermere Lake, is considered one of Alberta’s influential painters of the twentieth century. Born in Bruce Alberta in 1915, Shelton’s passionate view of life from a working class perspective dominated her art. Her work encompasses coalmines from Rosedale to the mountains of the Rockies that she loved. She often packed her art supplies and tent on the back of her bike and pedaled off until inspiration stopped her.
Shelton is best known for her watercolors, woodcut and linocut prints. Although she periodically taught and worked as a commercial artist, her passion led her back to doing this work on her own full time. Her brother would often head downtown to sell her work on Stephen Avenue Mall. She studied under A.C. Leighton and H.G. Glyde, studying at the Provincial Institue of Technology and Art (now SAIT and ACAD) . Their influence can be seen in some of her pieces as well as her work with W.J. Philips, her biggest influence, who taught her Japanese block printing. She passed away in 1984.
The Glenbow Museum has over 400 of Shelton’s works, donated by her daughter Pat Marcellus. The Collector’s Gallery in Inglewood has been chosen to manage the estate pieces. Chestermere Library now has it’s own Shelton watercolor, compliments of Kaspar-Kraft, a view of the lake from the 1960’s. Check out these places for your own tour, and begin with your Chestermere History Book which has a short biography and picture of Shelton.
