Last links to Calgary's second Chinatown to be demolished

The last remaining buildings from Calgary's second Chinatown will soon be demolished.

The last remaining buildings from Calgary's second Chinatown will soon be demolished.

The two buildings are on 10th Avenue S.W., an area that was home to the city's Chinatown back in the early 1900s.

Both buildings also have other historical Calgary links.

The brick and sandstone Western Block was built in 1905 and owned by Thomas Underwood. He served as Calgary's mayor from 1902 to 1904.

The two-storey building features a ground floor of shops and businesses with a second floor used for apartments.

The neighbouring Calgary Gas Company workshop was built in 1907. After serving as an office, the wooden structure has been home to The Backlot since the mid-1990s, a bar that is an important social venue for Calgary's queer community.