Electricity station turned distillery: historic building to get new life in Calgary industrial zone

A building that was once a cornerstone of Calgary's electric grid is set to become the home of one of Canada's largest craft distilleries. 

Located in the southeast Highfield district, the East Calgary Substation, which dates to 1911, originally housed one of the first electrical systems that provided power to the growing city.

Now, it's being converted into a roughly half-hectare site that will include a distillery, tasting room, restaurant, patio and private event space. 

Bryce Parsons, the CEO of True Wild Distillery, said he stumbled across the building while looking for a potential site for a distillery, and it immediately stood out to him. 

"I was coming through Highfield industrial at the time, and all of the sudden drove by this very odd building for the area … we have this building that you know kind of looks like a bank, very estate-like," said Parsons.

"I started realizing that this is a piece of Calgary's history here [and that] there could be something special."

When the substation was built, it was surrounded by farmland, and the utility of electricity was relatively new. Parsons said the building was handsomely designed as part of a marketing strategy for people to warm up to the technology of the future. 

Protecting that heritage and using it to their advantage is now a priority of True Wild Distillery's venture, said Parsons. Although they've made minor improvements, the team plans to keep the majority of the exterior of the building as-is. 

"I think [the exterior] is the best feature when someone comes up here," said Parsons. 

The building, located at 3115 11th Street S.E., has other features that also lend themselves to the site of a distillery, Parsons said. The original concrete walls are cast-in-place (meaning they were poured on-site) and are very thick. 

"You have to consider that with a distillery, you have to have a certain level of explosion proof [structures] and fire barriers and stuff," said Parsons. 

Inside, Parsons said they will keep an original staircase that gives the space an art-deco feel, and will attempt to incorporate original electrical components into the decor as a nod to the building's past, such as switch boards. 

Josh Traptow, CEO of Heritage Calgary, said "adaptive re-use" of industrial buildings is gaining momentum for commercial spaces, and that it's an environmentally friendly way to build on what's already there. 

"The greenest building is the building that already exists, and I think in a world where we're very concerned about the climate, why demolish buildings if we don't have to, if they can be re-purposed?" 

Traptow said the East Calgary Substation is one of only a handful of buildings like it that still exist from that era in the city's history. He predicts that its storied past will likely be a draw for people to visit.

"It's good news for heritage in Calgary, good news for people who like whisky."

Parsons said that by offering both a restaurant and a distillery, as well as outdoor space and a parking lot, he hopes the site will become a destination for Calgarians looking for an immersive experience. 

"It's something a little bit different than the hustle and bustle that we see down on 17th Avenue and Stephen Avenue."

While the surrounding area remains quite industrial, Parsons thinks the distillery may be the first of many new businesses popping up in the area. 

"It's a development in one of Calgary's oldest industrial areas. We're trying to not only pay homage to the history of the building but also the area and create a spark to start revitalizing it so other things start building up around here."

In a release, True Wild Distillery said it plans to open in June 2024.