CENTURY RETAINING WALL RESTORATION

This massive sandstone wall on Colborne Crescent in Mount Royal Calgary was built in the late 1880's by the Canadian Pacific Railroad. It was built with sandstone from local quarries.

At that time, the city line ended at 17th Avenue. This Mount Royal area was envisioned as the "garden suburb" of Calgary, with winding streets that followed the contour of the hill. Many stone walls were built, but none as high, thick and stately as this.

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LMent Stone began restoration of this wall in the spring of 2016, and completed the final section in the summer of 2017. Several hundred square feet of the wall had to be completed demolished and rebuilt due to excessive water damage.

All replacement stones were reclaimed from the foundations of two local houses, located on 7th Street SW, built in the same Calgary Sandstone Era. These two houses were being removed for re-development. All mortars used in the restoration were traditional lime mortars.

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The two houses above the wall were built in 1910-1911 by the architectural firm, Lawson and Fordyce. The wall and the houses have become Calgary historical treasures.