As The Bay fades away, former Teen Fashion Council members look back with warm memories

The closure of Hudson’s Bay stores has many people looking back fondly. The Stephen Avenue location holds a special place in the hearts of some Calgarians.

The closure of the Hudson Bay stores has plenty of Calgarians looking back fondly on their connections with the department store and Canadian institution, including a group of Calgary women who were awarded coveted roles during the Bay’s heyday.

Strolling by the Bay on Stephen Avenue is a walk down memory lane for a few Calgary women who were some of the first members of the Hudson’s Bay Teen Fashion Council, selected in 1959 and 1960.

“It was really a great, great honour,” said former Crescent Heights High School student Fran (Van Sant) Cormack.

“It was a huge deal for us,” said Joanne (Bartlett) Steinmann, who attended Viscount Bennett High School. “I think we felt very important somehow.”

Calgary only had five high schools back then and each chose two students for the role.

Teen Fashion Council members received training in beauty and business, modeled in fashion shows, and worked part-time in the iconic department store at the time considered the retail hub of the region.

“(It was) really good training, period,” said Barbara (Reece) Leary, who attended Queen Elizabeth High School. “It was a wonderful time to be a teenager.”

“I think we learned a lot in terms of just how to be and how to look after ourselves step out there and into the world,” added Steinmann.

“We worked in various departments,” said Cormack. “We were sort of like a teen connection and it promoted young people coming to the Bay.”

In a way, the members of the Teen Fashion Council were the original influencers.

“I’m sure we were!” said Cormack.

Word of mouth influence and face-to-face interactions were vital for business.

“Oh, it was fabulous,” said Leary. “I mean, you had to touch the fabric and really appreciate it, instead of ordering online and not really knowing what you’re getting.”

While many industry changes evoke nostalgia, the upcoming closure of Bay stores across the country has been the most bittersweet for this group.

“It’s just heartbreaking,” said Leery.

“I just had a few minutes to walk through and it was very, very sad,” said Steinmann, “but we can live with all the memories we had and this was fabulous.”

Their time together at the Bay is woven into their life stories.

“Lifetime friendships,” Cormack said. “You know that’s a long time ago – 1960 – and some of us have stayed in touch all those years.”

While they’ve stayed in touch individually, these women hope the end of an era is just the start of reunions like this one.

The women said the Bay’s Teen Fashion Council was around for about a decade.