How old Canadian buildings host new ideas

Contributed/Jeremy Segal

The Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre in Vancouver.

Sometimes heritage buildings outlive their original purpose, but it doesn't spell their end. Canadian cities are filled with historic structures that found second lives. From museums to supermarkets, these sites provide innovative new uses that respect each building’s past. They show that with thought and creativity, a heritage designation doesn’t have to be an obstacle to building a great city.

Here are highlights across the country:

Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre, Vancouver (pictured above)

THEN: The western terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway, opened 1888 and was later used as an Expo 86 pavilion.

NOW: An all-purpose facility combining community spaces, performance venues, art studios, a gym, and the first passenger train to reach Vancouver.

Pier 21, Halifax

Pier21.ca

THEN: Ship terminal that served as a gateway to __canada for over one million immigrants between 1928 and 1971.

NOW: Houses the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, a Nova Scotia College of Art and Design campus, shops and studios.

Mill Street Brew Pub, Ottawa

Contributed

THEN: The Thompson-Perkins grist mill, an 1850s-era flour producer site along the Ottawa River.

NOW: Mill Street Brewery set up shop to provide a more modern take on processing grain for human consumption.

Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto

Torstar News Service

THEN: The hockey temple where the Maple Leafs enjoyed their glory days.

NOW: Its on-ice heritage lives on via Ryerson University’s Mattamy Athletic Centre, featuring a rink and other gym facilities. A Loblaws grocery store occupies the ground floor — look for the old centre ice in aisle 25 by the tuna.

Union Bank Building, Winnipeg

Lyle Stafford/For Metro

The Union Bank Building in Winnipeg Manitoba, April 3, 2017. The Union Bank Building is the oldest surviving skyscraper in Canada and is located in the Exchange District. Construction began in 1903 and it opened in November 1904. The 10-storey building was Winnipeg's first skyscraper and was the tallest building in Winnipeg at the time of its construction. Lyle Stafford/For Metro

THEN: The oldest skyscraper in western Canada (opened 1904), this banking tower was also the founding site for the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

NOW: Money magic gave way to culinary wizardry with the establishment of Red River College’s Paterson GlobalFoods Institute.

King Edward Hotel, Calgary

Contributed/Brandon Wallis

THEN: A historic railway-era dive bar along the city’s “Whiskey Row,” later known as a blues venue.

NOW: Disassembled, then rebuilt brick-by-brick, the site celebrates Canada’s musical past and present with the National Music Centre and Studio Bell.

Mercer Warehouse, Edmonton

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THEN: A warehouse built in 1911 to store cigars and liquor.

NOW: Part of the 104^th Street warehouse district, the site houses restaurants and business start-ups.