logistical challenge. Any replacement
sandstone must be physically and
visually compatible with the existing
stone and have appropriate density to
last for a century. “The building was
made with original Paskapoo sand-
stone taken from quarries that were
open around Calgary at the time, but
which no longer exist.” Bell and his
team searched for compatible sand-
stone world wide, eventually finding
sources in Ohio, Spain, and Poland.
Such intricate specifications and plans
are required for every component of
Historic City Hall’s renewal, including
the mortar and windows.
During the rehabilitation of Historic
City Hall, extensive heritage treat-
ments will be done on almost every
piece of sandstone on the building by
up to 30 expert stonemasons, many
of whom worked on similar projects
on Parliament Hill. Of the building’s
15,522 pieces of sandstone, all but 380
of those have been specified to require
NOVEMBER 2018 | BUSINESS ELITE CANADA 7
