City Bakery building

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Anthony Imbrogno ★★★★

Excerpt from The Bridges community newsletter, March 2022: People from all over Calgary came to the bakery to buy their European influenced creations. Local residents found work at the bakery. One Mom, Apolonia Portincasa worked there for 30 years – it was an overnight job that had her arriving back home just as her kids were heading off to school. The original building was constructed in 1908. This makes it one of the earliest buildings along 1st Avenue, soon after Bridgeland's 1907 annexation to the city of Calgary. For the first few years it was a grocery store operated by Sauer and Son and in 1923 the building became a Canadian Pacific Railway laboratory. The first bakery to operate from this site in 1927, was owned by the Rosenthal family, and was called City Bakery. It changed owners and names a few more times till 1948, when Harry and Rachel Gorscht began operating it as City Bakery; it was sold to Pierre Macullo in 1954. Fritz Painsi and Hans Wanner took over the business in 1971, initially focusing on bread and buns. Both of these men had apprenticed in Switzerland and were employees at the bakery before they purchased it. Because of their extensive training they began to make the pastries that people still fondly recall. The reputation of the bakery grew and they began to supply some of Calgary’s finer restaurants. Along the way the building expanded till it extended several lots north along 8 Street. During its heyday City Bakery operated 24 hours a day. As their pastry business doubled in volume, 42 people were employed. After streamlining operations in 1982 staff was reduced to 30 people working 5 days a week - still a very busy place. The bakery was also a training ground for many pastry assistants from Calgary and other countries. Can you imagine all the activity happening on that corner and the delectable scents emanating from this popular bakery on our Main Street? How we miss it !!! City Bakery was sold to Weston’s in 2001 and closed after 2010. After sitting vacant for a few years the building was purchased and renovated by Molson Coors to become their Western Canada office. Out of the 1st Ave storefront there was a printing business but most recently Leela Eco Spa offers their services. The building is now slated for demolition. Contact the BRCA to help preserve a part of Bridgeland's history.