Emergency demolition has been taking place at the site of the former Ogden legion and curling club ever since a fire broke out Wednesday morning.
It’s the most movement on the site some residents have seen in more than a decade.
“It’s just really unfortunate because it was really a nice, proud building,” said Zev Klymochko. “It’s at the entrance to our area so it’s the first thing people see when they come into Ogden.”
As vice-president of the Millican Ogden community association, Kylmochko has long wondered what it would be like to see the site reach its full potential once again.
“I have great memories of going to their steak and draft night here, seeing wrestling matches inside… a lot of people in the community have fond memories.”
The building has languished since being privately purchased in 2012.
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The site was ordered to be demolished in 2023 by the City of Calgary after numerous complaints about public safety from residents.
That order was appealed to the Licence and Community Standards Appeal Board (LCSAB), which upheld the city’s decision earlier this year.
The owner of the building did not respond to a request for comment.
Klymochko says he was assured by the city the building would be torn down this fall, but the fire earlier this week may be accelerating that work.
“I feel a sense of relief that it’s finally coming down — I think we’re in the final stretch here.”
The memories of meat draws, weddings and curling bonspiels are still top of mind for some area residents.
“Everybody that I went to school with — several of them still live here — we’d all meet at the legion,” explained Sylvia Erickson, who’s lived in the area her whole life.
“Big community events, dances, everybody knew everybody.”
The sign that formerly stood on the property advertised the Legion as such — “Where strangers are friends we haven’t met!”
While there’s no indication what the site’s future could hold, outgoing Ward 9 councillor Gian-Carlo Carra is excited for the possibilities.
“Across the street there’s a big greenspace… then there’s quite a bit of main street that takes you right up to where the (proposed Green Line) station is going to be. And the station in Ogden, I think, is going to be the best C-Train station in the city.”
There’s still no indication of what may have caused the fire.
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