Eau Claire smokestack heritage designation to be debated by Calgary city council

City council is set to discuss Monday whether to remove the heritage designation for a Calgary landmark.

The Eau Claire smokestack must be moved to make way for a redevelopment of the nearby Eau Claire market.

The 27-metre-tall brick landmark has stood there since 1947, a remnant of an old city transit garage that was located where the market sits today.

• Precedent-setting proposal to move Eau Claire smokestack worries heritage group

The owner of the site wants city council to remove its heritage designation so the structure can be dismantled and moved a short distance away, making way for redevelopment of the site.

Coun. Druh Farrell says she's opposed to removing the designation because it will set a precedent.

"We don't have a great history of preserving heritage in Calgary and when you've got something that has the highest designation in the land, it should mean something," she said.

Along with a promise to rebuild the smokestack and add an improved interpretation of its history, the property owner intends to also make a $300,000 payment to the city for its heritage programs.

Still, Farrell says she voted against the de-designation on first reading and she intends to do the same this week.

"This was a very upsetting day when council agreed to de-designate and I voted against that and I'll continue to vote against it, because it erodes the whole meaning of designation," she said.

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