Parkdale Crescent NW

The Parkdale neighbourhood of west-central Calgary was founded in the 1910s. Most growth, however, happened in the 1950s and in support of this a modest-sized business district sprang up in the vicinity of Parkdale Crescent NW along 3rd Avenue. Today, a few commercial buildings from the old days can be found here and it’s these we’ve come to explore. There’s an retro corner store (empty on our visit), Chinese Restaurant and what was a service station. We suspect in appearance each is little changed from the early days.

In this city older stuff often doesn’t stand a chance in the face of progress and so these two square blocks, somewhat untouched by time, are a pleasant diversion. Here, it’s a little slice of Calgary from another era and some buildings simple, but full of character. We got three mid-century hold-outs and with an hour to burn it’s a recipe for fun. Click, click, click and now let’s chat a bit about what we explored..

Smart Mart. This building, according to the city, dates to 1952, although the first mention of a business on this end, a corner store, comes a couple years later. Back then it was called Parkdale Foods (or Food Store) and old phone books, our main research tool for this piece, tell us it operated into into the mid-2000s. We wonder if it was the same owners?

Then it seems there was a series of stores in quick succession, using some variation of the name Smart, the last being Smart Mart Convenience. Modern records are a bit spotty (how odd), so we don’t have the complete picture here. Smart Mart seems to have closed a few months or so before our visit – damn missed out on those half priced bongs! In recent times only a handful of traditional style corner stores remain in the entire city and with this example gone, now there’s one less.

The location has recently become the Caspian Supermarket. We don’t know if any changes were done to to the exterior by these new owners but we’ll drive by one day to see.

That vintage Coke sign is a classic oldie (1960s/1970s era we think) and it was once common to see ones just like it at any local store. These were provided at no cost, in return for the manufacturer’s advertising and so it was a win-win for both parties. All the big pop companies offered them in some form, with Coke the most common from what we’ve seen.

Leavitt’s Ice Cream Shop (so Lics) occupies the unit next door and has been there since the early 1980s. Mmmmm, mint chocolate chip in a sugar cone. A massage parlour at the far end is the last tenant in the old building. It’s actually a pretty nondescript business block with most of its character on the corner store end.

Oriental Palace. The building first shows up in records about 1957 and in the following two years an electrical contracting firm or supplier operated here. It’s not till 1961 when the address makes mention again, with a restaurant by the name Chop Stick Foods said to be located here. That firm continued into the late 1980s and interestingly for the last half dozen years or so, were listed as operating out of the basement. The form of this structure doesn’t really hint that it has one, so who would have guessed?

In the early 1980s the present restaurant, Oriental Palace, moved in, upstairs I guess and this suggests it and Chop Stick operated concurrently, each on their own floor. What an interesting arrangement and perhaps one possibility is the new owners retained the old name for its brand value. Or who knows?

In appearance the restaurant is pure old school, although the menu shows offerings a tad more inspired than one might expect given the unpretentious exterior. It’s not the typical westernized red sauce stuff you usually see and here looks a step above. We might just have to try it sometime, assuming they’re ever allowed to open for in-store dining again (as we type this, Covid says no). For old time’s sake, send down a plate of BBQ pork. We’re jonesin here!

This business, of the three, is the only one actually on Parkdale Crescent NW proper where as the others are close by on 3rd Avenue. All are within sight of each other, though. Speaking of 3rd Avenue, it’s is a odd one in itself and seems to struggle with an identity crisis. Part of a long unbroken stretch of blacktop spanning the city, depending where you are it carries a different name. Mostly it’s Memorial Drive, but as you travel west it turns into Parkdale Boulevard for a short time and then briefly 3rd Avenue. Continuing on, it’s then Bowness Road for a while and finally, just prior to ending, becomes 85th Street for a few blocks. Some sections are busier than others, but none are quiet in any sense.

Parkdale Auto Service: The first business to show up in local directories, Parkdale Service, was in 1954 although the city says the building is a couple years older. In the early 1960s it became Parkdale Esso and remained so into the mid-1970s. Switching allegiances, as happens in the business, it then become Parkdale Husky Service before closing in the early 1990s.

This whole time the station offered auto repairs, as was common then, in addition to fuel. Local shops did a good business at one time and sold tires, batteries and did tune ups or mechanical work. That’s where the money was (now it’s chips and smokes). No doubt it was a full service kinda gas station as well, in that they pumped fuel for you. Really, they did that back then! Where as the Gas ‘n’ Gulps of today offer all kinds of eats, a service station of old might have a couple bags of chips on the wall, a Coke machine and little else. No jerky, no slushies, no machine made latte’s.

Last branded as Parkdale Auto Service they dispensed with the dispensing of fuel and instead it was car repairs only, which they continue offering to this day. Small shops like this are often hidden gems and lower in cost than competitors.

The building retains all the old time features like service bays and outside access biffies. In addition there’s a small office area (typical at the time) and outside it’s a fuel island for a couple pumps (now gone). Standing there, you can just picture some tail-finned land barge pulling up for a fill. “Give me ten bucks of regular – and check the oil.” They’d wipe your windows too – how things were different then.

Parkdale is a classic post-war community and reflected the optimism of the time. Picture the pretty little bungalows with nice trimmed hedges and a brand new Plymouth parked out front. Look at the chrome sparkle in the afternoon sun! Think grilling on the weekend, sport coats and fedoras. Think roadtrips to Banff…it’s living the dream. New houses today have made inroads and replaced many older ones.

Parkdale Crescent NW is a little treasure in a dynamic ever-changing city. In today’s world, ’round these parts anyway, old has little value and with the development monster always lurking, how long before these buildings documented are no more? While they’re not that old in the grand scheme of things, it’s amazing how few non-residential buildings from that era can be found in Calgary relative to the modern.

Till next time, keep curious and have fun!

They’re saying…

”A nice look back at what was built in the past.” Gloria Radtke.

More like this…
Gonesville: Stadium Shopping Centre – To shop no more.
Last Photos of the Enoch Sales House – It was only a matter of time.
Retro Service Stations: Lakeview Husky – fill’er up and do the windows!

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, feel free to contact us!

Date of Adventure: June, 2020.
Location(s): Calgary, AB.
Article references and thanks: City of Calgary Land Records, the Medicine Hat and District Genealogical Society and Calgary Public Library.

Smart Mart’s vintage Coke sign.

Hanging around Parkdale Crescent NW Calgary.

A plate of BBQ Pork please…

A 1950s era service station.

No missing the sign.

Once an Esso & later a Husky.