Exploring the storied and spooky history of the recently closed Rose & Crown Pub

It was a beloved local watering hole for 35 years and just before Christmas, the last pint was poured.

Since opening in 1987, the Rose & Crown Pub has been a staple of the downtown community.

Located just off the bustling 17th Avenue, live music often emanated from the pub and you’d be hard-pressed to find a spot on the busy patio during the summer months.

Fans of every sport could gather to watch games and plenty of events were held in the two-and-a-half-storey building.

That is until its closure was announced at the end of December, much to the chagrin of its loyal patrons—many recalling fond memories of the pub.

A storied past

The lot where the Rose & Crown sits has an interesting history. While the current building was constructed in 1935, tax records show a structure has sat at the location since at least 1902.

The building was either extended or rebuilt in 1906, the same year a man named David Davidson moved in with his wife and three children.

Davidson lived in the home until he died in 1921. His wife, Dora, remained until she died in 1930.

After their daughter, Maude, died a year later, a man named Harvey S. Perkins lived in the home until 1935.

That’s when the current building was designed by premier Calgary architect D.S. McIlroy and it was constructed as the Memorial Park Chapel funeral home.

From funeral home to pub

“When it was built, it was actually one of the larger funeral homes. I think it could seat about 200 people,” says Heritage Calgary CEO Josh Traptow.

It operated as a funeral home until 1984 and became the Rose & Crown Pub three years later after undergoing extensive renovations.

Over the years, many patrons have shared stories about suspected paranormal activity and unexplained happenings.

“I'm sure it is haunted,” says Traptow.

“Given that it was a funeral home from 1935 all the way up until the 1980s, there’s surely bound to be stories.”

Ghost stories galore

Perhaps no one has a better story than Al Hunter.

The longtime bartender worked at the Rose & Crown in Banff during the 1988 Olympics before moving to Calgary shortly after.

At the time, the Banff and Calgary locations of the bar were under the same ownership, and Hunter worked his first shift in the downtown pub on March 17, 1988.

After about a year and a half, Hunter moved on but found himself back behind the Rose & Crown bar in the mid-90s, where he stayed until September 2019.

Over the years, he experienced a few things that gave him chills and made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

Balloon boy

One particular instance took place sometime in the late ‘90s when a group had reserved an area on the second level for a party.

A bunch of helium-filled balloons on strings had been put in the room for decoration when Hunter witnessed the unthinkable.

“I stood there and this balloon comes down, goes past me, goes down the stairs, and goes into the main bar… went back out and went down towards the kitchen,” he says.

“So I grabbed it, I put it back, and the same balloon did it three times.”

Other visitors and employees have reported lights flickering, being tapped on the shoulder, shadowy figures, and ghosts resembling a little boy (perhaps the balloon culprit), a lady in a white dress, and an older man.

Many fond memories

Hunter says he never felt scared of the unexplained activity and that the pub was a big part of his life.

It’s where he met most of his Calgary friends, and he has many fond memories including bartending during the Calgary Stampede, watching Olympic gold medal games, and the 2004 Calgary Flames Stanley Cup run.

“I’m not a Flames fan, but it almost made me one,” he laughs.

Hunter served many regulars over the years, including several British expats who found a home away from home at the Rose & Crown.

“The first guy I served there was still there to the last day it was open. He had his own little spot on the bar there,” Hunter says, adding he feels bad that the man has now lost an important part of his life with the pub’s closure.

An uncertain future

So, what will become of the almost 90-year-old building now that the Rose & Crown has closed?

This past June, it was added to Heritage Calgary’s inventory of evaluated historic resources, which recognizes its historical significance.

Heritage Calgary stewards the inventory on behalf of the city and hires researchers to evaluate buildings.

“In the case of the Rose & Crown, it has landmark value, style value, and activity value,” Traptow says.

“And as long as a site has one of those values and has historical integrity, it's typically then a good candidate for the inventory.”

Up to the new owners

Despite being on the inventory, the building isn’t legally protected.

“Current or future owners could make significant changes to it. They could demolish it. There are no legal protections for the building in its current form,” Traptow says.

Buildings can be legally protected if they are designated as a Municipal Historic Resource, but Traptow says that’s up to the owner.

“In Alberta, under the Historic Resources Act—which is provincially regulated—municipalities really don't have the ability to designate against the owner’s wishes,” he says.

“Designation really is at the will of the owner to initiate.”

Appreciation for character buildings

While the future of the Memorial Park Chapel/Rose & Crown Pub is uncertain, Traptow says, in general, Calgarians have an interest in preserving heritage buildings.

“We’ve heard from Calgarians who have been getting out in their community to learn more about their community, the sense of community and character that they feel from those types of buildings,” he says.

“It's that community character that I think people appreciate.”

Traptow adds that the City of Calgary has declared a climate emergency and that there are environmental benefits to preserving heritage structures.

“The greenest building is the building that already exists,” he says.

“Their renovation and restoration I think really will go a long way to help, not only when it comes to climate resiliency, but affordable housing, and just overall community walkability.”