1.6K 
In the course of our daily reporting, we often uncover unusual projects, places, or connections that don't make the final cut. Instead of keeping it to ourselves, we're pleased to share our weekly Architrivia.
Though the skyscraper is officially recognized as having been invented south of the border, its appeal certainly took root in Canada's urban centres as well. Tall buildings are now a commonplace status symbol that hold a number of important functions. Residences, offices, hotel rooms, and retail uses are frequent inhabitants of occupiable highrise space. But the sprawling skylines of Canada's largest cities wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for the pioneering efforts of the developers, architects, engineers, and construction workers that built the country's first skyscrapers.
As buildings continue to reach record-breaking heights, the term skyscraper has naturally evolved over time. A tower that may have been considered a skyscraper over a century ago, when technological advancements made tall buildings possible, may not carry that same designation today. Although no precise definition for the term existed when they began to be erected in the late 19th century, a steel-framed tall building equipped with an electric elevator was usually deemed a skyscraper. This broad definition leads to some confusion over exactly which buildings were the first recognized skyscrapers in respective Canadian cities.
Montreal was the largest city in the country when the New York Life Insurance Building was constructed in 1887. Located in the historic precinct of Old Montreal, the eight-storey office building designed by Babb, Cook and Willard features a large clock affixed to the imported red sandstone facade. When work on the clock concluded, the building's owner reserved the two upper floors for the largest legal library in the country as a celebratory gift. The structure neighbours another long-standing Montreal landmark in the 23-storey Art Deco Aldred Building, which completed construction in 1931. Both towers have been immaculately preserved and continue to serve as integral contributors to the city's historic urban fabric.
The seven-storey Toronto Board of Trade Building is often considered the city's first skyscraper. Formerly located at the corner of Front and Yonge Streets, the 1892-built structure housed both the Toronto Board of Trade and the Toronto Railway Company. New York firm James & James was appointed the architect on the building, but the first design partially collapsed during construction. Buffalonian Edward A. Kent then relieved James & James of their duties and carried out the plans to completion. Two years later, the E.J. Lennox-designed Beard Building on King Street East became the tallest in the city. The original scheme called for a nine-storey iron-framed structure, though the final product was built using wood. While some consider the Beard Building to be Toronto's first skyscraper, its absence of a steel skeleton has led others to refute that claim. The 12-storey Temple Building on Richmond Street West was the tallest building for a decade after its completion in 1896, prompting some to regard it as the city's first true skyscraper. Sadly, all three buildings have since been demolished and replaced with newer structures.
Vancouver's Dominion Building became the tallest commercial building in the British Empire upon completion in 1910. The pink and tan 13-storey heritage structure remains a Gastown landmark, where it currently holds offices for a film production company, booksellers, non-profit organizations, clothing designers, and other businesses.
Calgary's first skyscraper came when rancher, real estate speculator, and founding member of the Calgary Grain Exchange William Roper Hull constructed a six-storey Paskapoo sandstone structure in 1909. The building's ornate entrance, marked by oak doors with beveled glass and an elaborate archway, provided offices for the Grain Exchange. Today, the building is mostly occupied by small businesses, non-profits, and studios for artists.
The nine-storey McLeod Building in downtown Edmonton was completed in 1915, three years after local politician Kenneth McLeod announced the plans for the site. Designated a Provincial Historic Resource in 1995 and a Municipal Historic Resource in 2001, the structure is recognized as the best remaining Albertan example of the Chicago Style of architecture.
Winnipeg's Exchange District was transformed when the 10-storey Union Bank Building arrived in 1904. Another example of the Chicago Style, the structure featured a design by Frank Darling and John Andrew Pearson, two of Canada's leading architects. Designated a National Historic Site in 1996, the building sat vacant for 18 years until a restoration funded by the Canadian and Manitoban governments repurposed the property into the Paterson Globalfoods Institute of Red River College in 2013.
Canada's first skyscrapers foreshadowed the wave of highrises that would forever alter the cityscapes of the country's urban areas. Though some of these structures have sadly been lost, those that survive continue to thrive in their environment, adapting to modern needs while staying true to their original architectural visions.
Do you have building trivia to share? Join the conversation in the Architrivia Tipline thread in our Forum.
