If you take a drive down 9th Avenue, Calgary’s first designated main street, you’ll find yourself rolling straight into the heart of Inglewood. Through their weathered brick and sandstone, the oldest buildings and businesses in the community retain their quiet dignity of standing in Calgary’s oldest neighbourhood.

Alexandra Centre Society

A framed photo of the original Alexandra Centre Society sits next to the certificate of incorporation, which is a legal document confirming a business is formally registered as a corporation. PHOTO: STEPHANIE GABRIEL

The story of Inglewood began at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers, where settlers working on the railway laid down tents, forts, and trading posts. Around the same time, the North-West Mounted Police arrived to construct Fort Calgary to put a halt to the whisky trade and to establish relations with the Blackfoot Nation, who called it home before 1875.

Together, these early presences formed the foundation of what would become downtown Calgary and Inglewood.

The main stairwell in the Alexandra Centre Society showcases the original tiling. PHOTO: LAMA AL-WADEIAH
The Molly Cropper Boardroom is named after the founder of the Alexandra Centre Society (1973).
PHOTO: LAMA AL-WADEIAH
The main stairwell of the Alexandra Centre Society features some of the original tiling and staircases.
PHOTO: LAMA AL-WADEIAH
The Alexandra Centre Society’s dance hall is an iconic part of the building and a space rented by a number of different types of groups throughout the year. PHOTO: LAMA AL-WADEIAH

When fire later swept through the early wooden structures that made up Inglewood, the town shifted slightly east and rebuilt, settling where it now stands. Today, numerous businesses in the community are located in some of Calgary’s most historic buildings. Thus, the businesses directly contribute to the community’s identity.

Video: The Calgary Journal’s Stephanie Gabriel reports on how a hot dog corner on a popular hot dog cart at the corner of 9th St. and 9th Ave. S.E. in Inglewood.

“It breaks my heart to see people live isolated from neighbours.”

Debbie Short, Executive Director of the Alexandra Centre Society
Richard Nesbitt was invited by the executive director of the Alexandra Centre Society to set up on their property. On the more central corner of 9th St. and 9th Ave. S.E., he sees more foot traffic each day. PHOTO: STEPHANIE GABRIEL

Fair’s Fair Books

  • The front entrance of Fair’s Fair Books, selling pre-owned books in Inglewood since 1988. PHOTO: CHARLOTTE VOS
  • A wooden carved out stack of books sits just outside the door into Fair’s Fair Books. PHOTO: CHARLOTTE VOS
  • Robert Henderson, owner of Fair’s Fair Books, sat at the forefront of the store on October 24, 2025. PHOTO: LAMA AL-WADEIAH
  • A pair of red boots sits in the corner of Fair’s Fair Books beside the many books available. PHOTO: STEPHANIE GABRIEL

“There were 37 bookstores in the city when we were around here when we started. And now I think there’s less than five or six. And 90 per cent is because they can’t afford rent.” – Robert Henderson

That’s exactly why people such as Kristen Shima, Executive Director of the Inglewood Business Improvement Area (BIA), stand to preserve what’s left of the community’s heritage.

“When we talk about the history, the heritage, the buildings that people experience, the eclectic vibe, the people that you meet on the street, and the businesses that are in that area, that story really radiates to the visitors that are coming into the neighbourhood of Inglewood,” says Shima.

Inglewood Aquatic Centre

An original photograph of the Inglewood Aquatic Centre, before it was renovated into an indoor pool. Some of the original 1963 features, such as tiling, are still visible around the facility. PHOTO: CHARLOTTE VOS

However, there’s currently a tension in the town between preserving Inglewood’s historic character while also supporting new growth and development. A lot of that historic character still lies in the businesses of Inglewood today.

The Inglewood Aquatic Centre’s pool, visible from the deep end. PHOTO: CHARLOTTE VOS
A view of Inglewood Aquatic Centre’s pool from the deep end, with the original 1963 building, repainted, still standing in the background. PHOTO: CHARLOTTE VOS

Two Wheel View

Pumpkins welcome customers and visitors to Two Wheel View. PHOTO: CHARLOTTE VOS

“When you see old apartment buildings being demolished, [ones that were] relatively affordable for folks, that definitely feels like a step backwards in terms of what best services Inglewood and Calgary in general.” – Hank Hanson

Hank Hanson, operations manager at Two Wheel View, inside their workshop on October 24, 2025. PHOTO: LAMA AL-WADEIAH
A Two Wheel View employee working on a bicycle on October 24, 2025. PHOTO: STEPHANIE GABRIEL

Places such as the Hose & Hound, Fair’s Fair, Two Wheel View, and more. It’s precisely why Shima and her team at the Inglewood BIA are actively working to preserve Inglewood’s business heritage and community.

“Right now, Calgary does not have a designated historical area… there are only two [places] in Alberta that have heritage districts or designations through the government of Alberta,” says Shima. “So we are working with them to have Inglewood be the third one.”

Gresham Block

This is what remains of the 114-year-old Gresham Block building in Inglewood, which was torn down last May to allow for new development. PHOTO: STEPHANIE GABRIEL

“Gresham Block is the most recent example of a building that came down, and it really hurt the community. It’s because we don’t really have those [heritage] things in place.” – Kristen Shima 

The other two designated Provincial Historic Areas are the town of Fort Macleod itself and Old Strathcona, located in Edmonton.

Hose & Hound

  • The Fire Station No.3, now known as the Hose & Hound, was built in 1906 and operated as one until 1952. PHOTO: STEPHANIE GABRIEL
  • The original fire station was used as a community centre from 1952 until 1982 because fire trucks became too big to fit through the doors. PHOTO: LAMA AL-WADEIAH

That’s why Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), which operate independently from the City of Calgary but often partner with it on projects, play such a crucial role in preserving a community’s identity and sense of belonging, largely through the businesses that define its character.

“I think it’s critical, the protection of identity, culture, and the history of the buildings,” says Shima. “We really need to strengthen and hold onto those elements for Inglewood and Calgary as a whole.”

East Calgary telephone exchange building

The East Calgary Telephone Exchange building was built in 1909 and operated until the 1960s. Now a provincial historic resource, it serves as home to the Inglewood Silver Threads Drop-In Centre, a crafting and social group for seniors. PHOTO: STEPHANIE GABRIEL

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Riley Fonger currently works as a freelance writer while pursuing a Bachelor of Communications, majoring in Journalism and Digital Media, at Mount Royal University.

Stephanie Gabriel enjoys writing meaningful stories and taking wildlife photos and portraits. With experience writing for the Calgary Journal and Humans of Calgary she hopes to pursue a career where she...

Lama Al-Wadeiah is a fourth-year journalism student, who's passionate about audio production and podcasting. In her free time, she volunteers as a social media manager for the Al-Maghrib Institute and...

Charlotte Vos is a fourth-year Journalism student at Mount Royal University. She is passionate about dance and all types of art, and enjoys spending time with her dogs and cats.