Stephen Avenue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stephen Avenue |
|
|---|---|
| 8 Avenue S | |
Historic buildings on Stephen Avenue
|
|
| Type | Historic district |
| Etymology | George Stephen |
| Location | Downtown Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Built | Early 1900s (turned into a pedestrian street in 1970) |
| Governing body | Parks Canada |
| Designated | 2002 |
Stephen Avenue is a super cool street in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It's mostly a pedestrian mall, which means it's a special area where people can walk around freely. You'll find it on 8 Avenue SW, stretching between 4 Street SW and 1 Street SE.
Cars are usually not allowed here during the day. It's a place for people to explore on foot! Vehicles can only drive on Stephen Avenue from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
What Can You Do on Stephen Avenue?
Stephen Avenue is famous for its amazing places to eat and hang out. You can find some of Calgary's best restaurants, cozy cafés, and fun pubs. It's also a great spot for shopping! You'll discover unique boutiques and fancy stores.
Shopping and Fun Spots
Some of the big shopping centers you can visit include The Core Shopping Centre. This used to be known as the Calgary Eaton Centre or TD Square. Other cool places are Bankers Hall, Fashion Central, Scotia Centre, and The Bay department store.
Stephen Avenue is also home to the city's main convention center, the Telus Convention Centre. This is where big events and shows happen. You'll also find two hotels here: the Hyatt Regency Calgary and the Calgary Marriott. The Hyatt Regency even has parts of historic buildings built into its design!
A Look Back in Time: Stephen Avenue's History
This special street is named after George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen. He was the very first president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, a huge railway company in Canada.
Stephen Avenue has many old and important buildings. Because of this, the street itself was officially named a Canadian historic site in 2002. Many of these historic buildings are made from sandstone. This stone was dug up right here in Calgary from the Paskapoo Formation.
The reason so many buildings are made of stone goes back to a big fire in 1886. That fire damaged many of Calgary's older wooden buildings. After that, people started building with fire-resistant materials like sandstone to make sure their city was safer.
