The Calgary Downtown Association (CDA), operating as Downtown Calgary, is a not-for-profit organization representing over 3,500 businesses in a 120-block area at the city's downtown core.

This area comprises over 50 million square feet of office space, hotels, retail shops, restaurants, entertainment venues, cultural attractions and government buildings - a far cry from its early days as a humble prairie settlement in the 1870s.

Much has changed since Calgary elected its first mayor in 1884. But throughout Downtown's evolution, some things remain as alive now as they were in the days of the pioneers - a fact showcased through Heritage Area designations such as Stephen Avenue Walk, whose carefully preserved historic façades tell a story as unique as the area's first settlers.