Wetaskiwin Water Tower

The Wetaskiwin Water Tower, built in 1909, is the oldest functioning municipal water tower in Canada and has long stood as the first visible sign of the city from any direction. Rising 42 metres high and holding 454,609 litres of water, it was built by the Ontario Wind Engine and Pump Company, which constructed many Canadian water towers in the early 20th century. Originally black, the steel-supported tank was enclosed in wood to insulate the 100,000 gallons of water inside from winter freezing. Calgary Power purchased the tower in 1928, and the city re-acquired it in 1980. By the turn of the 21st century, the aging structure had deteriorated, with chipping paint, missing cedar shingles, and an unsafe wooden ladder, while workers had to be lifted by crane several times a year to change lights on 12-metre-high antennas and inspect the steel drum. Although demolition was considered because the tower stood on valuable developable land, concerned citizens persuaded the city to preserve it. In 2005, it underwent complete restoration and refurbishment. For more than a century, it has supplied water to homes and businesses, remains part of the city's reservoir system, serves as a pressure relief valve during sudden surges, and continues to stand as a beacon by day and illuminated at night.

Alberta · Canada