I recall the Burton Cumming Theatre from a few years back. ;) Wish I still had this file, but it's on an old computer that's busted.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6fa9e542_b.jpg01 by Andrew Moore, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b23bfa59_b.jpg04 by Andrew Moore, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e1f2e175_b.jpg03 by Andrew Moore, on Flickr

I don't know if there have been posted here already. A couple of recent ones for Calgary.

A new hotel proposed for Stampede Park
https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/forum/...13-png.655705/

A three tower proposal for the Beltline
https://cdn.skyrisecities.com/sites/...038-184348.png

Wonderful things happening in Winnipeg.

Beyond Quebec City and maybe Halifax, I cant think of a Canadian city that tastefully preserves heritage buildings like Winnipeg does. The Exchange District is a such a blessing to the city. That said, it's not a museum and new development in the neighbourhood tends to be tasteful. There have been some lemons along the fringes but I digress.

A podium in Calgary broken up to have publicly accessible internalized spaces is a step up in Calgary. The rendered towers above the podium are completely forgettable in this complimentary dusk light.

Halifax is pretty hit and miss on this. Some very good examples, but also some very bad ones. Quebec City would definitely be in a tier above.

Montreal would like a word.

https://hurghadiansproperty.com/wp-c...-Montreal.webp

https://montrealvisitorsguide.com/wp...d-montreal.jpg

https://actualites.uqam.ca/wp-conten...-539132012.jpg

https://s3-media0.fl.yelpcdn.com/bph...BwlVN7IQ/l.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...st_2017_02.jpg

Beautiful.

Halifax just has a unique stock of heritage buildings, especially pre-Confederation buildings, but extending to some other areas like, surprisingly, Art Deco. What is done with them is more or less up to the owners, whereas presumably areas like old Quebec City or Montreal have strict planning rules. In the neighbourhoods as well Halifax has some really ugly stuff. There can be a block that's 90% very nicely preserved buildings with a blue vinyl-clad slum type property on it.

Halifax has some good adaptive reuse projects, no doubt partly because buildings that would be 100% preserved in Quebec City have been gutted with floors built on top.

Long list of cities that are hit and miss. The more pressure to build housing to meet growth, the more pressure there is to compromise. Sure Old Montreal is protected. Almost anything outside seems to be open to facadectomy.

The Beltline Towers proposal in Calgary is very nice!

Thanks for the summary of the Winnipeg proposals Wpg_Guy, greatly appreciated!

I follow the Winnipeg thread in the subsection as I think it hits the sweet spot of not too much construction/proposals as to be overwhelming yet enough to be interesting. It's nice to see changes in a city where projects really matter vs. often getting lost in the weeds. Also I find it a nice comparable to Victoria that is similar yet very different in all regards.

One example is the Hyatt Centric proposal - there is actually one under construction here in Victoria, so I suppose the first in Western Canada will indeed be Winnipeg if it opens next spring - that seems like a very quick timeline. The one here is keeping the facade of the 131 year old Duck building with additional storeys for a total of 8 and 167 rooms.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...85b46ec6_b.jpg

Duck Building Facade - Broad Street, December 1, 2024 by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...25193647_b.jpg

Duck Building Facade - Broad Street, Victoria. March 25, 2025. by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

https://www.hospitalitynet.org/pictu...g?t=1698915547

source: https://www.hospitalitynet.org/annou.../41010244.html

That render was prior to the approval this spring by city council to allow 2 additional storeys to cover the increased cost of restoration and construction:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...773f2631_b.jpg

Broad Street Hotel - Updated 2025 Rendering by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...7afa9626_b.jpg

Broad Street Hotel - 2025 Updated Rendering by JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr

source: https://tender.victoria.ca/webapps/o...29125254875539

Another interesting point is the historic Bay buildings with an atrium - as you know the Victoria one was converted to condos with a public market at the bottom, so the interior courtyard is just for residents. The resulting 'darkness' of the market plus its decline since the pandemic has resulted in it closing up any day now, to be replaced by a No Frills grocery store.. ugh.

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/c...g?format=2500w

The east side was formerly connected to the parking garage, thus the new face which incorporates quite well. In return for the heritage restoration the city permitted high density on the former parking garage.

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/c...g?format=2500w

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/c...g?format=2500w

source: https://www.houseandbloom.com/listings/fisgard

The inside of the Winnipeg Bay atrium appears to have a similar vibe to the Victoria retail/office building The Atrium completed in 2011:

https://images.adsttc.com/media/imag...jpg?1414407395

more pics and source: https://www.archdaily.com/226201/the...featured-image

Finally, love to see the rebirth of the Pantages theatre, which is similar to the 112 year old Royal Theatre in Victoria which seats 1416 people and previously also had an east and west lobby added which also helps with earthquake stability. Home to the VSO, as well as plays, concerts, dance recitals, etc. Interesting tidbit was that on May 18, 1914, Al Jolson was on stage in Honeymoon Express, the same day Victoria’s McPherson theatre opened. This 772 seat theatre is actually part of the Pantages chain of theatres found across North America.

More info and pics on these theatres can be found here.

Also really like the Calgary Beltline proposal.

Saint John would have to be right up there in terms of heritage preservation, mainly because there has been little pressure to redevelop. Now that things are slowly changing I hope they realize what they have and still accommodate new growth within that setting.

Thanks for following the Winnipeg updates, and for sharing some from Victoria, one of my favorite cities ive been fortunate enough to visit.

The race is on! I think maybe it was the first to be announced for Western Canada, I believe the spring 2026 timeline is a little ambitious, the project was delayed getting started so I imagine the timeline for opening would be pushed back, probably into 2027.

That's unfortunate about the market in the former Bay Building surely the space is better suited than a no frills.

The Victoria retail/office building The Atrium is stunning.

Some interesting proposals I've seen recently from around Vancouver:


Wyndham Hotel - 500-1588 West 3rd Ave.:

https://i.imgur.com/vgTnL9S.jpeg
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/wynd...e-island-hotel


02-644 Kingsway and 603-617 East 16th Ave. rental towers:

https://i.imgur.com/cJUY634.jpeg
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/602-...housing-towers


Lower Mall Student Residence at UBC:

https://i.imgur.com/25Fgupy.jpeg
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/ubc-...ncouver-design


4-36 West 3rd Avenue and 5 West 4th Avenue office/industrial building:

https://i.imgur.com/hPyICtT.jpeg
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/4-36...trial-approved


Project Phoenix at 43-95 East 3rd Ave.:

https://i.imgur.com/2EmyfB7.jpeg
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/4-36...trial-approved


Marriot Hotel & apartments - 888-896 Cambie St.:

https://i.imgur.com/iZYXoJu.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/Hjj0Lk1.jpeg
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/888-...town-hotel-npg


And this is no longer a proposal as construction has just begun, but I like this one too much not to post - Moxy Hotel at 848-850 Seymour Street:

https://i.imgur.com/CFiqL2H.jpeg
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/848-...l-construction

:cheers:


LOL, I was going to say. I would think any city from Kingston going East does a pretty good to outstanding job of retaining heritage structures. However, these are also our oldest urban areas, and some have experienced slower growth and fewer threats over the years, tearing down the old in the name of progress. Just about all the Maritime cities have great old preserved downtowns.

If we could only travel back in time to the 50s when so much heritage was lost across the country to build new modern towers and make surface parking lots for the people driving to them.

Aside from the Wyndham Hotel, the rest look very Toronto/Montreal in design. They give off an East Coast vibe, or is it just me?

Those Vancouver proposals are great. I like seeing the finer grain stuff sometimes even more than the towers that get proposed....I know the last two are towers, but.

Wyndham is interesting however, the rendering is very conceptual.
The Kingsway twin towers do not stand out at all.
The student residence looks like UofT's new one on Spadina or anything from the Dutch firms working in Toronto
The Marriott Hotel and apartments again is a pretty generic facade treatment (and a favourite) but, the awkward stacking I find familiar to Vancouver
Moxy belongs anywhere.

Looks great. I feel like hotels are experiencing a bit of a revival across Canada - there are many new hotels getting built now after decades of almost none.

Also surprised to see new office building proposals in Vancouver. Toronto hasn't had a major office building start basically anywhere in the GTA since 2021.