Advertisement

New project brings ‘desperately needed’ indoor farming to Calgary Tower

Click to play video: 'Iconic Calgary Tower showcases elevated urban farming'
Iconic Calgary Tower showcases elevated urban farming
WATCH (June 26): Dan Houston with Agriplay Ventures joins Global News Morning to discuss how it’s transforming unused commercial real estate in Calgary into more than 150 different crops. – Jun 26, 2022

Big changes are on the way at one of Calgary’s best-known landmarks, which means Calgary Tower will soon have a garden in a surprising spot.

The project involves putting in an indoor system for growing produce in vacant commercial space at the bottom of the tower.

For the man in charge of the project, Dan Houston of Agriplay Ventures, it brings back memories of childhood visits to the top of the tower.

“It was special, because we’d go up to see the city,” Houston said.

Click to play video: 'COVID-19 has more people trying indoor gardening'
COVID-19 has more people trying indoor gardening

Agriplay will be installing vertical growing towers in the Calgary Tower space.

Story continues below advertisement

“We’re going to be having strawberries, watermelons, cucumbers,” Houston said.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

It will be an expansion of what Agriplay already has on the go at its existing indoor farming facility in northeast Calgary

“The system automatically produces the nutrient system and flows into each of the towers,” Houston said.

Agriplay’s existing operation grows produce like parsley, peppers and cherry tomatoes.

Click to play video: 'Edmonton company sees the light for urban agriculture to take root year-round'
Edmonton company sees the light for urban agriculture to take root year-round

“You can grow, in one-tenth the space, three to five times the amount of greenhouse vegetables, using 98 per cent less water,” Houston said. “It’s environmentally friendly. It’s desperately needed.”

Agriplay is planning to grow fruits and vegetables at the Calgary Tower by Sept. 1.

Story continues below advertisement

The company is hoping to take its system elsewhere in Calgary to help revitalize the city’s downtown.

“We walk into a building that can’t find a tenant and we turn that building into an output of fresh produce,” Houston said.

Click to play video: 'Office vacancy rate in Calgary declines for 1st time since start of COVID-19 pandemic'
Office vacancy rate in Calgary declines for 1st time since start of COVID-19 pandemic

Agriplay is aiming to have fruit and veggies grown at the Calgary Tower in local supermarkets by early 2023.

The project will bring fresh ideas to a spot Houston enjoyed so much as a child.

“So it’s kind of come full circle,” Houston said. “I mean, what better way to show Calgary diversifying and changing… than to covert the icon that is the Calgary Tower and bring it back to life?”

Story continues below advertisement

 

Sponsored content

AdChoices