Canadian Skyline Thread III

[Surrealplaces]

Calgary as seen from Bridgeland area.

[cranes]

Waterloo

@ZEBuilder July 28, 2026 | 20 University Ave E | 80.7m 25s

I haven't shot this one directly but it is in the background of a few of the shots I have of other projects up around that part of Waterloo. When I have some time I'll go through and update the other KW threads since I have a couple months worth of photos to post for all of them. In the three photos below it's off in the distance or the side of the shot.

[Chocolite]

Great photo. I was in Calgary for a few days, and I can see my hotel where I stayed

Originally Posted by Surrealplaces

Calgary as seen from Bridgeland area.

[905er]

oh my Waterloo. no no no.... whyyyyyyyy?????? who approves these atrocities?

[craner]

Originally Posted by Surrealplaces

Calgary as seen from Bridgeland area.

Nice pic !
My eyes don’t sting and my breath is fresh & easy looking at this Calgary photo vs the smoky ones on the previous page.

[Wpg_Guy]

facebook

[jc_yyc_ca]

Originally Posted by Chocolite

Great photo. I was in Calgary for a few days, and I can see my hotel where I stayed

Hope you enjoyed your stay in Cowtown.

[MolsonExport]

Waterloo: it's getting much taller but not prettier, alas. Looks positively Longueuilish to me.

Downtown Longueuil in the foreground, Montreal in the background.

[zoomer]

A partial view of downtown Victoria from Skirt Mountain, which is about 13 km away.



Source - Photo by Murray Sharratt

[Calgarian]

What is stopping Victoria from going tall, are there height restrictions?

[Five Four]

Originally Posted by zoomer

A partial view of downtown Victoria from Skirt Mountain, which is about 13 km away.



Source - Photo by Murray Sharratt

God, Victoria is georgous! Despite having never been there, it definitely feels familiar (likely due to it's similarities to Halifax). Would love to visit some day! This shot really compacts Victoria's many and sprawling mid to high-rises. Are there any taller buildings planned?

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by cranes

Waterloo

@ZEBuilder July 28, 2026 | 20 University Ave E | 80.7m 25s

We've all seen the random rectangle trend, but I don't think anywhere has done it quite like Waterloo. Looks like if you built a prison and put tetris cubes on the side. JFC what a hideous group of buildings in the centre. Like, how was that ever allowed?

[zoomer]

Calgarian and Five Four - yes, height restrictions are in place for numerous reasons -probably chief among them was the public backlash to three residential towers (only 19 to 22 storeys) built in the late 1960's and early 1970's and they weren't that bad to be honest. Victoria holds grudges for generations apparently. They still get brought up even today. Also Nav Canada manages the seaplane landing in the harbour and they often fly right over downtown and descend very steeply and quickly. It's one factor that saw a 35-storey tower proposal rejected in March of this year, and which I wrote about here on MappingVictoria.

Also city planners are strongly against buildings pushing the height limits, yet to be fair they're following official community and downtown area plans which were recently updated yet still fairly restricted. Ironically a good chunk of the city councillors who passed these plans are willing to overlook height limits; and with the 35 storey building several including the mayor indicated they'd be willing to overlook the height limit if there was an agreement with Nav Canada and if the design was improved.

Currently there are several towers in the low to mid 20's-storey range being constructed and more proposed with the tallest being 32 storeys. So it looks like the heights are being pushed upwards into mid to high 20's, but beyond mid-30's I can't see happening any time soon.

You check out the under construction projects here and the proposals here. I focus primarily on Victoria (not the adjacent communities) and most of the construction is downtown.

Some areas not captured in the skyline above shown below:



source

an extension of downtown and you could say it's Victoria's answer to Vancouver's West End on a much smaller scale is James Bay - here is one of three towers which looms decades later over the city in terms of development backlash if not true height:



source

A view from across the Johnson Street Bridge back towards downtown:



source

The plus side to not having 30 to 40-storey towers is the growth of a large, walkable and quite dense downtown. It's good to have this is place before growing upwards which I think will slowly happen.

[ssiguy]

Ah Waterloo, a city only Stalin could love.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by zoomer

Calgarian and Five Four - yes, height restrictions are in place for numerous reasons -probably chief among them was the public backlash to three residential towers (only 19 to 22 storeys) built in the late 1960's and early 1970's and they weren't that bad to be honest. Victoria holds grudges for generations apparently. They still get brought up even today. Also Nav Canada manages the seaplane landing in the harbour and they often fly right over downtown and descend very steeply and quickly. It's one factor that saw a 35-storey tower proposal rejected in March of this year, and which I wrote about here on MappingVictoria.

Also city planners are strongly against buildings pushing the height limits, yet to be fair they're following official community and downtown area plans which were recently updated yet still fairly restricted. Ironically a good chunk of the city councillors who passed these plans are willing to overlook height limits; and with the 35 storey building several including the mayor indicated they'd be willing to overlook the height limit if there was an agreement with Nav Canada and if the design was improved.

Currently there are several towers in the low to mid 20's-storey range being constructed and more proposed with the tallest being 32 storeys. So it looks like the heights are being pushed upwards into mid to high 20's, but beyond mid-30's I can't see happening any time soon.

You check out the under construction projects here and the proposals here. I focus primarily on Victoria (not the adjacent communities) and most of the construction is downtown.

Some areas not captured in the skyline above shown below:



source

an extension of downtown and you could say it's Victoria's answer to Vancouver's West End on a much smaller scale is James Bay - here is one of three towers which looms decades later over the city in terms of development backlash if not true height:



source

A view from across the Johnson Street Bridge back towards downtown:



source

The plus side to not having 30 to 40-storey towers is the growth of a large, walkable and quite dense downtown. It's good to have this is place before growing upwards which I think will slowly happen.

Maybe the few giant sequoias from California will grow as tall as skyscrapers some day.

[G.S MTL]

[2009]

Originally Posted by G.S MTL

Little Closer

Looks like a city with a tiny airport /s

[jc_yyc_ca]

Source https://www.facebook.com/ralph.corpin

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Maybe the few giant sequoias from California will grow as tall as skyscrapers some day.

There is a park in Surrey (Redwood Park) that has a couple sequoias, very massive, very cool trees! Didn't know Victoria had them too, bet they grow very well there!

[jc_yyc_ca]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

There is a park in Surrey (Redwood Park) that has a couple sequoias, very massive, very cool trees! Didn't know Victoria had them too, bet they grow very well there!

Me neither until I googled it, but Victoria has them around the Legislature grounds.