{"id":94414,"date":"2014-07-28T10:00:13","date_gmt":"2014-07-28T14:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/?p=94414"},"modified":"2014-07-28T13:14:39","modified_gmt":"2014-07-28T17:14:39","slug":"historic-photos-calgary-tower","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/guides\/historic-photos-calgary-tower","title":{"rendered":"The story of Calgary\u2019s most famous structure, as told through photos and fun facts"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/h4>

Ah,\u00a0the Calgary Tower… the city’s\u00a0most iconic building — for better or worse. To mark its\u00a0belated 46th birthday, we’ve rounded up a collection of (mostly) historic photos and fun facts of the tower\u00a0that\u00a0Vice magazine once described as<\/a> looking like\u00a0“someone hucked an old Campbell\u2019s soup can on top of a concrete pillar.”<\/p>\n

Originally named the Husky Tower, the tower was conceived as a joint venture between Marathon Realty and Husky Oil.\u00a0It cost $3.5 million to build.<\/h2>\n

Ca. 1968<\/strong>\"Calgary<\/a>Photo:\u00a0Calgary Tower<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The Husky Tower was the tallest structure of its type (free-standing tower) in North America when it first opened on June 30th, 1968.<\/h2>\n

Ca. 1969<\/strong>\"Calgary<\/a>Photo: Calgary Public Library<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

While it was under construction, developers claimed the tower would be only 614 feet tall in hopes of preventing competing projects from surpassing its height record. After construction\u00a0wrapped up, the City of San Antonio promptly built a tower that was 623 feet. Only when\u00a0the San Antonio tower was finished\u00a0did\u00a0the City of Calgary revealed that its tower was actually 628 feet.<\/h2>\n

\"Calgary<\/a>Photo:\u00a0Calgary Tower<\/a><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

The architect of the Calgary Tower was as cagey as the developers were about its\u00a0height. The late Bill Milne did not like to have his photograph taken and never publicly revealed his age<\/a>.<\/h2>\n

Ca. 1975\"calgary<\/a><\/em><\/strong>Photo:\u00a0<\/em>imgur<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The tower was built on the site of Canadian Pacific Railway’s station, which was demolished in June 1966 to accommodate the Palliser Square project and the Husky Tower.<\/h2>\n

Ca. unknown<\/strong>\"Calgary<\/a>Photo:\u00a0Calgary Public Library<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Was officially renamed the Calgary Tower on November 1st, 1971 as a tribute to the citizens of the city.<\/h2>\n

Ca. 1974<\/strong>\"Calgary<\/a>Photo:\u00a0Bernie\/Flickr<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

It was\u00a0Calgary\u2019s tallest free-standing structure from 1968 until 1983 when it was surpassed by the Suncor Energy Centre\u2019s west tower.<\/h2>\n

Ca.\u00a0late 1980s\"Calgary<\/a><\/strong>Photo:\u00a0Calgary Public Library<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Today it is the sixth tallest<\/a> building in the city and 21st<\/a>\u00a0in all of Canada.<\/h2>\n

Ca. unknown<\/strong>\"Calgary<\/a>Photo:\u00a0Calgary Public Library<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The tower\u00a0stands 628 feet above the ground and 4,028 feet above sea level.<\/h2>\n

Ca. unknown<\/strong>\"Calgary<\/a>Photo:\u00a0Calgary Public Library<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Is a founding member of the World Federation of Great Towers<\/a>, which includes such famed structures as the CN Tower in Toronto and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.<\/h2>\n

Ca. unknown<\/strong>\"Calgary<\/a>Photo:\u00a0Calgary Public Library<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Although Calgary is not an earthquake zone, the building\u00a0was the first in the Western provinces designed to withstand earthquakes. On a windy day the tower can sway up to 16.5 centimetres (7.5 inches) and can withstand winds up to 161 kilometres per hour.<\/h2>\n

Ca. 2012\"Calgary<\/a><\/em><\/strong>Photo:\u00a0Nigel Midwinter<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In October 1987, a helicopter installed the world’s largest Olympic torch on top of the tower. The $525,000 project was a gift from\u00a0Olympic sponsor Canadian Western Natural Gas.<\/h2>\n

Ca. 1987<\/strong>\"Calgary<\/a>Photo:\u00a0Howard Kilgour\/Flickr<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

When lit, the flame is visible 15 to 20 kilometres away and requires 30,000 cubic feet of natural gas an hour.<\/h2>\n

Ca. 1988<\/strong>\"Calgary<\/a>Photo:\u00a0woychukb\/Flickr<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In 2005, a glass floor was installed on the Observation Deck as a gift to the province\u00a0on its centennial. Spanning 36 feet wide by 4.5 feet, visitors can stand over 9th Avenue SW and Centre Street North.<\/h2>\n

Ca. unknown<\/strong>\"Calgary<\/a>Photo: imgur<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Want more historic photos and fun facts on the Stampede City? Check out our\u00a0pictorial look at Calgary\u2019s ever-evolving skyline<\/a> and these\u00a016 photos of the city from the air and space<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Did you know the Calgary tower was originally called the Husky Tower?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":96089,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11118],"tags":[11117,11126,11116],"coauthors":[10332],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe story of Calgary\u2019s most famous structure, as 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