Calgary Tower in Calgary, Alberta

Originally known as the Husky Tower, the 627 foot Calgary Tower in downtown Calgary, Alberta is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. It was built in 1967 to mark Canada's centennial and to drive urban renewal in Calgary's downtown core.

At the time of completion the Husky Tower (renamed the Calgary Tower in 1971) was not only the tallest structure in Calgary, it was also the tallest tower structure of its kind in North America. The Calgary Tower also inspired the look of the torch for the 1988 Winter Olympics, and even had a gas-fired cauldron installed on its roof that is still lit for special events.

The Calgary Tower has since been surpassed in height by a number of downtown skyscrapers in the city. It still has a revolving restaurant at the top, but has also been upgraded over the years and now features a glass floor and an exterior LED lighting system. Half a century later, the Calgary Tower remains a true Calgary, Alberta icon.

LED lights on the Calgary Tower.

Looking down from the glass floor of the Calgary Tower.

You can see the cauldron on the very top of the Calgary Tower.

Looking down at the Palliser Hotel in downtown Calgary.

Stephen Avenue in downtown Calgary.

Editing Luke on CBC Radio Calgary

A big thank you to CBC Radio Calgary for having me on the Homestretch this afternoon to speak a bit about my hometown photo series, Around the Hat. The show was broadcasting from Inspire Cafe in downtown Medicine Hat, Alberta today, and reached out last week to set things up. 

As I've said many times, you really never know where people will find you, how things will spread, and where the opportunities will present themselves when you put things out to be discovered. Around the Hat was the photo series that really opened the door for all of the North American travel shoots I've done since. After celebrating 5 years just a few weeks ago - it was awesome to reflect on some early work and share a few of those stories with a new audience. 

The scene and CBC Radio inside Inspire Cafe this afternoon.

CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario

Completed in 1976, the CN Tower in downtown Toronto, Ontario is a communications and observation tower that is arguably one of Canada's most recognizable landmarks. For 32 years the CN Tower held the record as the world's tallest free standing structure before it was surpassed in height in 2007 by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

The CN Tower attracts over 2 million visitors annually and features two observation platforms, glass floors, an outdoor platform, and a revolving restaurant. To this day the CN Tower remains a Toronto icon, and at 1815 feet tall, still an epic place to take in views of the city.