HISTORIC FIRE HALL No. 1 & NORTH-WEST TRAVELLERS
Exploration of Historic Fire Hall No.1 and North West Travellers Buildings as Vibrant Arts & Culture Campus Begins
The City of Calgary and cSPACE Projects are exploring the transformation of two historic downtown buildings into a new arts and culture campus. This collaboration is to find new uses for the Historic Fire Hall No. 1 (140 6 Avenue S.E.) and the North West Travellers Building (515 1 Street S.E.) as vibrant spaces where artists can engage with the Calgary community.
“We’re excited to partner with the City of Calgary to turn these historic buildings into a dynamic, iconic destination. Our plan for a creative hub will not only preserve Calgary’s history but also bring new life into the buildings. It will create a place for artists to be creative and help Calgary’s creative economy grow.”
– Deeter Schurig, President & CEO of cSPACE Projects
In spring 2024, after an expression of interest and a thorough evaluation process, The City chose cSPACE as the top candidate to reimagine these buildings. This decision was based on cSPACE’s success with similar projects, like the reimagined King Edward School in Marda Loop, which has become an important part of Calgary’s arts and cultural scene.
This project supports The City’s efforts to enhance Calgary’s downtown and create accessible spaces for creativity and culture.
“This agreement is a big step in bringing new energy to two of Calgary’s most famous heritage buildings. “By partnering with cSPACE, we’re setting the stage for a unique space that will support Calgary’s growing arts community and offer a cultural hub in the heart of downtown.”
– Ryan Meier, Manager of Facility Planning for The City of Calgary.
A Creative Future for Calgary
Project Updates
Last updated December 2025
cSPACE has completed a conceptual design and feasibility study outlining the transformation of these iconic buildings into vibrant spaces for art, creative work, community gatherings, and small businesses. With the initial studies now complete, the reports are under review with the City of Calgary. cSPACE will continue to work closely with all partners and will bring forward recommendations to the City on next steps as part of ongoing due diligence.
ON NOW AT FIREHALL
fireWORKS
cSPACE Projects, in partnership with ARTICLE 11, presents fireWORKS — a captivating multimedia installation that brings the energy of the Calgary Stampede’s midway crowds to Mohkinstsis; spring nights.
The fireWORKS installation will remain on view nightly until March 2026, offering Calgarians and visitors a chance to experience public art in a truly unique way—and to imagine what’s possible when we reawaken historic spaces with creativity and collaboration.
“We’re so excited to be part of being part of the beginning of this exciting project. This piece was inspired by the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth – its energy and a sense of belonging – a true representation of the city. The building is kind of new, but the land isn’t new. Everything we do as ARTICLE 11 centres around Indigeneity, Indigenous stories, and it’s Indigenous led. That’s what we’re bringing here. We are celebrating resilience, showing the power of buffalo and of the people that belong to this land and how we all share it today.”
– Tara Beagan, ARTICLE 11
Help us shape the creative future of Calgary.
Fill out this community questionnaire and share your memories of these historic buildings and ideas for this new arts & culture hub.
The Canadian Creative Space Mentoring Network (CSMN) kicked off its 2025 cohort with a vibrant gathering of 20 participating arts administrators at cSPACE Marda Loop in Calgary.
This national initiative, presented by @artsbuildon , brings together mentors and mentees who will collaborate over several months to strengthen and advance their creative space projects. The program is designed to pair lived experience with aspirational vision—supporting participants as they troubleshoot challenges and cultivate thriving cultural spaces in their communities.
The mentorship is grounded in hyper-local realities, and powered by national expertise and peer-to-peer learning.
cSPACE Projects and @calgaryartsdev are proud to be local partners, contributing space, time, and knowledge in support of a healthy and prosperous creative ecology in Calgary.
We’re excited to see how these creative leaders grow over the coming months—and what new ideas and inspiration will emerge from this year’s cohort!
#ArtsWorkers #YYCArts #artsbuild #KnowledgeSharing
🎉 What a night!
Downtown Calgary lit up on April 5th for the launch of fireWORKS — a powerful projection by ARTICLE 11 that transformed the Historic Fire Hall No. 1 + North-West Travellers Building into glowing works of art.
🔥 From moving words by Elder Ruth Scalplock + Poet Laureate Shone Thistle
🎶 To electric performances by One Big JAM (audience dancing included!)
✨ This was more than a celebration — it was the first step toward a new creative future for Calgary.
🙌 Huge thanks to our volunteers, artists, everyone who came out, and the City of Calgary Downtown Strategy team.
💡 This is just the beginning. fireWORKS runs ‘til July 2025 — come see what creativity looks like in the heart of our city.
Check out our community survey and help us reimagine the future - Link in Bio!
#fireWORKSCalgary #cSPACEProjects #yycarts #DowntownCalgary #CreativeCalgary #HistoricFirehall #PublicArt #ARTICLE11 #OneBigJAM #LivingACreativeLife
📢 Extra! Extra!
Get hyped!
fireWORKS will ignite this historic downtown site into a burst of creative energy.
📍 April 5th | Historic Fire Hall No.1 | Public Launch Event
Save the date. Be there. All are welcome
fireWORKS is proudly supported by the @cityofcalgary
#downtowncalgary #yycarts #livingacreativelife #yycdowntown #yycevents #calgarytourism
THE FARMERS AND MAKERS MARKET AT CSPACE MARDA LOOP!
One week ago, on Friday March 7, cSPACE welcomed some dynamic placemakers - Nancy Rooney (Co-Chair, FMM), Christina Ma (Co-Chair, FMM), and Sandra Shibasaki (Market Manager, FMM) - to tour the grounds in anticipation of this summer`s Farmers and Makers Market at cSPACE Marda Loop.
Erin MacLean and Kate Ware (Events + Engagement Manager and cSPACE Market Coordinator) led the way and shared insights from last year`s market.
This team is on fire! More info on this summer`s awesome plans at the link in our bio.
#cspace #cspacemarket #farmersmakersmarket #cspaceprojects #cspacemardaloop #yycmarket #yycfarmersmarket #yycevents #yycbuzz
💫 cSPACE is proud to welcome Orchestra Patron FWBA Architects to our Theatre Stars Dedicate-a-Seat campaign.
💫 “Established in 1928, FWBA Architects is focused on inspired design, through collaboration, and we proudly support cSPACE Theatre Stars and the revitalization of the historic King Edward School.
💫 "A member of the Canada Green Building Council, our firm takes pride in helping transform this beautiful heritage sandstone school into a LEED Gold hub for Calgary`s creative community.
💫 "As strong supporters of community, FWBA Architects invites our partners and Calgarians to consider "Dedicating-a-Seat" to help ensure the vitality of this heritage landmark and gathering place for years to come.”
💫💫💫The Partners and Team of FWBA Architects
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Theatre Stars is a fundraising campaign for supporters of the arts to leave a lasting legacy in our beloved Studio Theatre at cSPACE Marda Loop.
With your donation and installation of a personalized plaque, you’ll become an integral part of the historic King Edward School’s transformation into our Marda Loop creative hub.
Choose from a range of donation levels, each offering a unique opportunity to contribute to our creative communities’ future.
For information on how you can become a Theatre Star, see the link in our bio.
https://cspaceprojects.com/donate/#theatre-stars
#cspace #cspaceprojects #cspacemardaloop #studiotheatre #theatrestars #philanthropy #givingseason #givingtuesday #donor #fwba #architects #yycarchitects #yyctheatre #forcommunityforever
Posted @withregram • @cspace.mardaloop cSPACE Marda Loop will be closed on Monday November 11th for Remembrance Day.
We will resume regular business hours on Tuesday, November 12th.
#lestweforget #remembranceday #canada #cspace #cspaceprojects #cspacemardaloop
Applications Now Open for CSMN Calgary 2025!
Announcing the second iteration of the Creative Space Mentoring Network (CSMN) in Calgary presented by cSPACE, Calgary Arts Development, and ArtsBuild Ontario! We are looking for mentors and mentees who are interested in participating.
Through CSMN, leaders in Calgary’s arts community who are responsible for their spaces, capital-related issues, or are seeking to acquire or establish physical or digital creative space will have the unique opportunity of one-to-one learning with an experienced professional in Calgary’s arts and heritage sector. We encourage interested arts leaders who are engaged at any level of creative space development to apply!
cSPACE, Calgary Arts Development and ArtsBuild Ontario will work collectively to match cultural leaders with experienced Mentors from their own or other sectors. The mentoring teams will meet up to three hours monthly from April to September 2025. All teams will take part in a Kick-Off Workshop, Mid-Program Webinar and a Wrap-Up Workshop.
Find out more and learn how to apply at the link in our bio.
#cspace #cspaceprojects #mentoring #yyc #yycartsandculture #artsadmin #artsbuild #calgaryartsdevelopment
“Restoring this historic sandstone school into a vibrant creative hub perfectly aligns with our commitment to sustainability, community engagement, and inclusivity.
cSPACE Marda Loop embodies these values, transforming into a LEED Gold space that will enrich Calgary’s creative community for years to come.
We invite our partners and fellow Calgarians to join us in the “Dedicate-a-Seat” initiative, supporting environmental stewardship, the arts, and the vibrancy of our beautiful city.”
- Kim Connell, Clark Builders Senior VP, Development and Strategy
cSPACE is proud to welcome Front Row Champions Clark Builders to our Theatre Stars Dedicate-a-Seat campaign.
Theatre Stars is a fundraising campaign for supporters of the arts to leave a lasting legacy in our beloved Studio Theatre at cSPACE Marda Loop.
With your donation and installation of a personalized plaque, you’ll become an integral part of the historic King Edward School’s transformation into our Marda Loop creative hub.
Choose from a range of donation levels, each offering a unique opportunity to contribute to our creative communities’ future.
For information on how you can become a Theatre Star, see the link in our bio.
https://cspaceprojects.com/donate/#theatre-stars
#cspace #cspaceprojects #cspacemardaloop #studiotheatre #theatrestars #philanthropy #givingseason #givingtuesday #donor #clarkbuilders #yyctheatre #forcommunityforever