This now-lost hotel and bar in Calgary was open for nearly a century

Opened in 1905, the King Edward Hotel, better known as the King Eddy, has been a cornerstone in Calgary’s history for many decades.

The King Edward Hotel was built on 9th Ave SE, and served as an important part of Calgary’s legendary “Whiskey Row,” a stretch of hotels and bars along 9th Avenue SW near the Canadian Pacific Railway. It was a very popular establishment for travellers, thanks to the train station nearby and locals who worked and lived in the area.

When Alberta entered the prohibition era from 1916 to 1924, the King Edward Hotel was well known for bootlegging. After the prohibition, it continued to run as a reputable establishment, and under the management of Homer Meeks, the bar became the first desegregated bar in Calgary.

Music has always been at the heart of the King Edw