Calgary Landmarks

Calgarian · #1 Posted **Jan 14, 2016, 9:58 PM**

So I got arguing with people online (yeah, yeah, I know...) about landmarks in this city, so I want to know what people on here think are our landmarks.

I can think of a few, but only 3 stand out in my mind, and one is slowly being blocked from most angles (Calgary Tower). What do you think are this city's landmarks?

My list:

1. Saddledome, our biggest and most obvious landmark.
2. CAlgary tower, our oldest and most famous landmark. Soon you will only be able to see it from Centre Street or the SW.
3. Peace Bridge, we all knew it would become one. If you don't like it, I don't care as that is irrelevant to the discussion.
4. Big Ski Jump at COP (not a stand out, but the history is significant)

Honorable Mention:

1. The Bow.
2. Olympic Oval.
3. Heritage Hall (need something old lol).

speedog · #2 Posted **Jan 14, 2016, 10:15 PM**

Even though I'm not a fan of the place, Peters' Drive-In is a Calgary landmark. Other burger joints may be out there that are better but Peters' is the one that first comes to mind for most people if you're talking burger joints in Calgary.

The Ranchmans would fall into this category as well, you might hate it but it is a Calgary landmark.

DizzyEdge · #3 Posted **Jan 14, 2016, 10:29 PM**

So if you imagine a landmark being a building which you might see on a postcard, I'd say:

Calgary Tower
Saddledome
Peace Bridge
Municipal complex (the old city hall with the all-glass municipal building is always a cool contrast)
The Bow
COP Ski Jumps

Most of our heritage buildings are relatively small, but I guess you could mention:

Battalion Numbers
Devonish
McDougall School
The Bay
Old Bank of Montreal
Heritage Hall
Mewata Armoury
Lougheed House
Central Memorial Park + Library
Balmoral School
Centre Street bridge

The Armoury and the old Planetarium are recognizable, but they're at the sleepy end of downtown so maybe not seen as often as if they were somewhere else.

DizzyEdge · #4 Posted **Jan 14, 2016, 10:38 PM**

Just looking through that list, I think McDougall school is a really impressive building, if not the most impressive historic building in Calgary.

More impressive than PEI's parliament building

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attractio...y_Alberta.html

http://picssr.com/photos/17882769@N00/interesting/page2

Riise · #5 Posted **Jan 14, 2016, 10:48 PM**

Going by the Wikipedia definition of the term:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances.

In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or features, that have become local or national symbols.

I'd agree with your list and add to it as follows:

Saddledome
Calgary Tower
Peace Bridge
Ski Jumps at COP
Firestone Tower
4th and 5th Avenue Flyovers
Nose Hill
Deerfoot 17 Building (It is now the Merchant Law Building)
Centre Street Bridge

They are landmarks in my mental map of Calgary.

lubicon · #6 Posted **Jan 14, 2016, 10:55 PM**

Calgary Tower for sure.
Ski Jumps
Nose Hill
the view west to the mountains

That's about it. Sorry, for me the Saddledome is not a landmark.

Calgarian · #7 Posted **Jan 15, 2016, 12:38 AM**

I'd say the Dome is definitely a landmark, it's in so many post cards and when I've shown people from other cities around Calgary they usually get excited when they see it. The LED lights on it help as well.

Chadillaccc · #8 Posted **Jan 15, 2016, 12:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Just looking through that list, I think McDougall school is a really impressive building, if not the most impressive historic building in Calgary.

More impressive than PEI's parliament building

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attractio...y_Alberta.html

http://picssr.com/photos/17882769@N00/interesting/page2

I'd also consider it easily more impressive than the Nova Scotia legislative building.

Province House, Halifax by
Charles Hoffman, on Flickr

As for my idea of city icons...

Calgary Tower

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Calgary_Tower.JPG

Palliser Hotel

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...200395&page=48

Saddledome

http://vacay.ca/2012/10/nhl-lockout-...algary-flames/

The Bow

Bow and Calgary Tower by LUMIN8, on Flickr

Peace Bridge

http://www.codyjames.ca/downtown-calgary/

suburbia · #9 Posted **Jan 15, 2016, 1:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riise

Firestone Tower

Legendary!

Lost landmarks would include that round hotel with the big S on top.

DizzyEdge · #10 Posted **Jan 15, 2016, 2:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by suburbia

Legendary!

Lost landmarks would include that round hotel with the big S on top.

http://ww2.glenbow.org/

Only stood for 24 years!

speedog · #11 Posted **Jan 15, 2016, 2:46 AM**

The old Sheraton, remember drinking beer there.

McMurph · #12 Posted **Jan 15, 2016, 2:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedog

The old Sheraton, remember drinking beer there.

And I felt old just remembering the thing.

Says a lot about the evolution of Calgary when that building (which truly looks like a shitty little building) was a notable part of the skyline not that long ago.

A slightly older and equally hokum landmark would be Dinny the Dinosaur.

McMurph · #13 Posted **Jan 15, 2016, 3:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Just looking through that list, I think McDougall school is a really impressive building, if not the most impressive historic building in Calgary.

I was in McDougall School for the first time just recently. It's beautiful, though oddly empty. I was told the government is trying to find more opportunities and events to open it to the public.

Chadillaccc · #14 Posted **Jan 17, 2016, 7:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by McMurph

I was in McDougall School for the first time just recently. It's beautiful, though oddly empty. I was told the government is trying to find more opportunities and events to open it to the public.

That would be great, I'd love to get a tour of the place. It's such a beautiful building. Hoping that the grounds get a touch up soon too. The red brick clashes with the building so hard. I'd love to see sandstone-coloured pavers put down on those walkways, or even something similar to the stone used in the cascade fountain area on the grounds.

Govertical · #15 Posted **Jan 18, 2016, 3:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

That would be great, I'd love to get a tour of the place. It's such a beautiful building. Hoping that the grounds get a touch up soon too. The red brick clashes with the building so hard. I'd love to see sandstone-coloured pavers put down on those walkways, or even something similar to the stone used in the cascade fountain area on the grounds.

Yeah I agree, we can totally do without the red in this day and age.

My list has already been done over on here too

MalcolmTucker · #16 Posted **Jan 18, 2016, 10:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by McMurph

I was in McDougall School for the first time just recently. It's beautiful, though oddly empty. I was told the government is trying to find more opportunities and events to open it to the public.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Just looking through that list, I think McDougall school is a really impressive building, if not the most impressive historic building in Calgary.

More impressive than PEI's parliament building

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attractio...y_Alberta.html

McDougall is hard to open up. There are massive implications for allowing the public to meet in the same rooms as Treasury Board, Cabinet, or Caucus.

It is an impressive building, but the lower level conference rooms aren't very soundproof, so you can't use adjacent rooms. The province has started using it for info sessions which is good though, get some use of the reception space.

The caucus room on the top floor is pretty nice, but could use new chairs. The acoustics aren't as good as the Government House caucus room in Edmonton (The Alberta Room), and the sight lines are a bit worse, so it was a bit harder to use. The goal for caucus was to not use electronics for sound amplification.

tomthumb2 · #17 Posted **Jan 18, 2016, 11:08 PM**

To me the only impressive one on the list so far is McDougall School. Very cool old building, too bad it wasn't in a higher profile area DT. Palliser is also impressive after all these years. Even though the tower and Saddledome are the most recognizable ones, they lost their wow factor a while ago. And like someone mentioned earlier, you won't even be able to see the tower soon, lol.

I really think our new main landmark will be Telus Sky or the next tallest (if that happens).

suburbia · #18 Posted **Jan 18, 2016, 11:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

McDougall is hard to open up. There are massive implications for allowing the public to meet in the same rooms as Treasury Board, Cabinet, or Caucus.

I remember attending a meeting hosted by the University (must have been 12-15 years ago - was Prez Weingarten and Dean of Education Annette LaGrange I think). Was semi-circular amphitheater type seating - rose room or something like that? Anyway, was excellent, and clearly they found a way for the university to use it.

tomthumb2 · #19 Posted **Jan 18, 2016, 11:27 PM**

I remember when these guys were on postcards. Sort of a landmark I guess...

MalcolmTucker · #20 Posted **Jan 19, 2016, 12:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by suburbia

I remember attending a meeting hosted by the University (must have been 12-15 years ago - was Prez Weingarten and Dean of Education Annette LaGrange I think). Was semi-circular amphitheater type seating - rose room or something like that? Anyway, was excellent, and clearly they found a way for the university to use it.

Bugs weren't so small then. Also, at times the room is only used for caucus 3 or 4 times a year, and security sweeps can happen in the mean time.

Right now they government is so security conscious that when word got out that wireless HDMI was being used to move powerpoint around the Alberta room in Edmonton, the next week there was a nice HDMI by ethernet setup.