Calgary Hidden Heritage Gems: Devenish Apartments
When we think of historic streetscapes in Calgary, we usually think of Stephen Avenue, Inglewood’s 9th Avenue and Kensington’s 10th St, not 17th Ave SW. Recently, needing a new refill for our favourite Lamy pen, we headed to Reid’s Stationary on 17th at noon only to find it wasn’t open on Sundays - or Mondays for that matter. But not all was lost. So, we wandered up the avenue and see what was new and what is old.
Everything is better with butter.
Eventually, we got to the old Devenish building and decided to go in. When we arrived, it was pretty much deserted until we came to Butterblock Bakery and Café. The bakers were busy making croissants and pastries as fast as they could because on the opposite side of the hallway the café was crowded with people. Luckily, we were able to snag two seats at the counter and enjoyed our coffee, pastries and people watching for 30 minutes. Too much fun!
Butter Block & Co. is renowned for its high-quality, 81-layer laminated pastries, particularly its signature double-baked almond croissants, praised for their buttery, flaky texture. You can buy BIY (Bake It Yourself) frozen pastries from the bakery. And on “Taste Run Tuesdays,” they feature rotating treats for $2.50. FYI: Butter Block & Co's 81-layer croissant signifies a precise lamination technique—folding dough and butter four times to create 81 distinct layers of dough. This high-layer count (compared to the standard 40–60) creates a strong structure for massive, filled croissants, resulting in a shatteringly crisp exterior and flaky, buttery interior.
Hot Tip: Pocket Café in 19th Street NW in West Hillhurst sources its pastries from Butterblock.
Tattoo Time?
Then it was time to explore the Devenish some more. By this time, it was busier as more shops were open. One of the highlights for me was The Brindle Room YYC tattoo parlour hidden at the end of the hall on the third floor. Not sure if it is the biggest tattoo parlour in Calgary, but it surely must be the most quirky, funky - and dare I say kitschy one. The decor is over the top, in a fun way. The staff were great and let me take all the photos I wanted. It almost made me want to get a tattoo – guess that’s the point!
Backstory: Sydney Dyer, owner of The Brindle Room, was the first Canadian tattoo artist to be invited to participate in the American TV show, Ink Master in 2023, the first year international artists were invited.
No Apologies!
The Devenish is full of small offices and boutiques. One of the largest fashion boutiques is Kate Hewko Studio on the second floor. Like The Brindle Room YYC, it is over the top with glitz and colour – just what I love. They too were very accommodating in allowing me to photograph. I felt like I was doing a New York City, London, Paris or Milan haute couture photo shoot. And I love her motto: “Subtle is over rated. So, no apologies.” I can live with that.
Kate Hewko Studio has a window facing onto 8th Street that has perhaps Calgary’s best retail window displays.
Secret Library?
Hidden in the basement of the Devenish is Betty Lou’s Library speakeasy, a 1920s themed prohibition era salon. When open there is a phone (the phone is removed when closed) on a table at the bottom of the centre stairwell. Pick up the telephone and if you have a reservation give them your password to get in, or if you are a walking-in just say “Gatsby.” How cool is that? I must add this to my bucket list.
The telephone was missing.
No Bedrooms?
The Devenish Apartments is architecturally and historically significant as one of the largest, most elaborate and well-known apartment buildings to be built in Calgary prior to the First World War. When built in 1911, the Devenish Apartments featured the most striking architectural design of any apartment building in the city and was touted as the largest and most up-to-date apartment building, not only in Calgary, but in Western Canada.
Originally, the building’s roofline boasted distinctively curved Jacobean-style gables and castellated towers, exemplifying the Queen Anne Revival style - a style popular for significant apartment house designs in Western Canada. While these rooftop elements have since been removed, the building is distinguished by its lengthy red-brick exterior, sandstone detailing, numerous porches, and its enormous balconies supported by massive brackets.
Local architect Alexander Pirie was in charge of the building’s design. He was also responsible for the design of Calgary’s Grunwald (St. Regis) Hotel (1911-13) and several apartment buildings in the city in the late 1920s.
Indiana-born real estate developer and oilman Oscar Grant Devenish moved to Calgary in 1902 and built the luxury, red-brick, gothic design apartment building in 1911. Tenants shared the building’s sunrooms, steam laundry and “odorless” garbage incinerator.
To maximize the number of apartments (57), the building originally had no bedrooms. Yes, you read right! A murphy bed slid out from the living room wall and a double bed slid our from the bottom drawer of the dining room china cabinet. And we thought micro apartments were a 21st century invention!
The building eventually began to decline and in 1980, it was sold, renovated and was branded as the Devenish Design Centre, with small office and boutique retail.
Last Word
The Devenish building with its creaky floors, charming wooden benches in the hallways, funky shops and quirky history is a fun place to flaneur especially for history buffs.
