HISTORY OF C.C SNOWDOWN Building

𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐞-𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐲 – 𝐂.𝐂. 𝐒𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 – 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟏 𝐒𝐭 𝐒𝐄. Built between 1911 and 1914, the C.C. Snowdon Oils Factory and Office rests along 11 Street SE along the CPR lines leading into Alyth Yards and Manchester Industrial. Originally built as a complex of three single-storey buildings: an office and warehouse, an oil and grease warehouse, and a garage and second office.

Throughout the years, the three buildings became one joined structure. While largely utilitarian, the building was finished with a red brick façade and sandstone detailing. Campbell Camillus Snowdon established the company in 1908 after moving to Calgary a year earlier as the western manager of the Canadian Oil Company. Starting his own company after moving to Calgary, Snowdon represents an important pioneer enterprise in the city, founding one of the first oil manufacturing and refining businesses based in Western Canada.

Between 1983 and 1987, the building sat vacant until a warehouse fire in 1988 severely damaged much of the building. The office portion of the building was still habitable and rented out, the fire damage was not repaired for several decades.

In 2008, the Heritage Property Corporation restored and expanded the building, finally repairing the fire damage that had occurred 20 years earlier. While repairing the back section of the C.C. Snowdon Building, the builders added two storeys to the building’s rear while leaving some of the superficial fire damage visible for character. Today, the building is a mixed-use office and retail building, with a land survey company and the Calgary Heritage Roasting Company operating out of the building. Right behind the C.C. Snowdon Building is next week’s featured site.