Ep. 15: ‘We only really notice things when they’re gone’

For years, more than 30,000 drivers a day rolled by a long row of character homes along Memorial Drive, west of 10 Street N.W., with little thought. When a construction fence surrounded the homes, some Calgarians took note. After a bulldozer destroyed the vacated abodes, all of a sudden, citizens remarked that something was missing from their daily commutes. “We only really notice things when they’re gone,” says Josh Traptow, the executive director of the Calgary Heritage Authority. On this episode, host Annalise Klingbeil speaks to Traptow about all things heritage, in a city with a reputation for bulldozing its past. “Calgary, especially in the 70s, 80s and 90s tore down, really, a lot of amazing buildings,” says Traptow. “Calgarians really want to save what they have left. In another 100 years, who knows what they’re going to have.” Traptow and Klingbeil cover a wide range of topics including the archaic terms listed on historic Calgary land titles, why a young Calgarian cares so much about old things, and how to designate your own abode as a municipal historic resource.  As always, Kerianne Sproule makes the podcast sound great. And, your feedback, advice, ideas, shares and iTunes reviews are appreciated. Here are links to a few of the news articles mentioned in this episode: Are 'run of the mill' heritage homes worthy of preservation? Advocates argue yes ‘Wow is this ever a cool house:’ Owner of home built in 1975 requests municipal historic resource designation Concrete connection to Calgary’s past preserved in sidewalk stamps Request to preserve one of Canada's last remaining 'Trend Houses' goes to city council