What are the opening hours?

Monday 9:30am - 5:30pm Tuesday 9:30am - 5:30pm Wednesday 9:30am - 5:30pm Thursday 9:30am - 5:30pm Friday 9:30am - 5:30pm Saturday 9:30am - 5pm

Chinook Optical

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Canada
Calgary, AB
Chinook Optical

Purveyors of Fine Eyewear since 1916. Located in the Britannia Shopping Plaza, Calgary, Alberta, Can Our business was founded by Dr. E.S. His son, B.J.S.

Tharp as Consolidated Optical, located in the Leeson & Lineham Block building (209 -8th Avenue SW) in 1916 in Calgary, Alberta. Tharp, became a doctor of Optometry after serving in the navy in WWII. He founded Chinook Optical in 1960 and now the next two generations are continuing the business. Chinook Optical is proud to be a small and independent business in Calgary, Alberta. The store was one o

f the original tenants in Chinook Center when the mall opened, yet for almost a decade now we have enjoyed our current location in the Britannia Shopping Plaza. We are proud of our history serving the Calgary community for more than 100 years and look forward to the next century of eyecare in our city. Our exceptional team of licensed opticians, students of opticianry and licensed doctors of optometry are continuing our tradition of excellence in health service.

04/20/2026

ANNA’S VIEW - Spring Break - April, 2026.

I got back a few weeks ago from a spring break trip to Cambodia, Vietnam and South Korea. It was an incredible vacation that had us on the move every few days exploring different cultures, landscapes, and climates. The number one question I always get when it comes to travelling anywhere is:

HOW MANY GLASSES

DO YOU BRING

ON YOUR TRIP?!

The answer is always “as many as I can.” When travelling to new places I often don’t know how bright the days will be, nor how quickly the light will/could change. I do know that, thankfully, I have many options. And so it’s more than just meeting my fashion needs that I bring along all these pairs, it’s about my visual needs. You’ll see in the image above that I have multiple pairs of dedicated sunglasses in various tints. I always want the darkest pair of sunglasses to explore the outdoors on a very bright day, but on a grey day I prefer a warmer colour (like a brown lens) to look though for the contrast it gives. However, without knowing how much I’ll have to carry with any given day of travel, the convenience of a transition lens is ideal for the flexibility to adapt to the moment. And then in the evenings I love a very light tint or a very clear lens….alas I have to insist on multiple pairs to come with me.

I am also a very high myope which means my large Rx is unable to be duplicated quickly anywhere in the world, and should I lose a pair, break a pair or suddenly find myself without glasses for whatever reason (horrible thought in my case!) I have a few backups.

•

ALWAYS BRING YOUR

GLASSES AND SUNGLASSES

IN YOUR CARRY-ON LUGGAGE

•

This is my unsolicited advice to you: Always bring your specs with you. Because it’s an extra expensive and inconvenient loss should the airline misplace your checked luggage with them in it.

I do hope this finds you all with travel plans of your own to look forward to, or perhaps having just come home from spring break yourselves.

{This is our latest newsletter delivered to your email as infrequently as possible. Sign up on our website to follow my ramblings}

04/17/2026

There’s something about Ahlem…
the simplicity pulls you in, but the depth is what keeps your focus.

Clean lines, effortless shapes, yet somehow, they carry a presence.

The kind that turns a quiet moment into a scene.

You put them on and suddenly… it’s cinematic.
Like you’re the main character, the world softens, and every glance holds a little more meaning.

Understated, but never unnoticed.
Soft, yet striking.

Tell us, do your frames make you feel something… or just help you see?

04/15/2026

Last night, just as I was closing up the shop, I caught myself lingering…

Completely taken by these new Ahlem frames that just arrived.

There’s something about a perfect tint, soft, effortless, a little playful, that changes everything.

These had me smiling.

Some frames don’t just accessorize, they become the mood.

Wouldn’t you agree?

04/13/2026

There’s a softness to true craftsmanship…
quiet, intentional, deeply felt.

At Chinook Optical, we’ve always believed it goes beyond eyewear.

Because when you slow down, you start to notice
the same care, the same soul, living in different forms.

Like

A legacy built over decades, since the 1930s
trusted by those who create, who feel, who obsess over the details.

The smooth graphite.
The perfect balance in hand.
That iconic square eraser.

Nothing accidental. Everything considered.

More than pencils, they move with purpose,
uplifting independent artists and inviting us to slow down in a world that rushes everything.

We see ourselves in that.

Independent. Intentional. Connected by craft.

This collaboration is a reflection of that shared energy.

Because it’s never just what you hold…
it’s how it makes you feel.

{new white on white versions of our promo pencils now in store, for those who know…}

04/10/2026

There are frames… and then there are statements.
At Chinook Optical we’ve always believed eyewear should add to your style, never subtract from it. It
should elevate, define, and sometimes even transform the way you carry yourself.
That’s exactly why we love Kuboraum.
Kuboraum doesn’t follow trends, it creates presence. Each frame feels like a character, a mood, a
confidence that doesn’t need to ask for attention… yet always gets it. Bold or understated,
sculptural or minimal, there’s a rhythm to the collection that allows every person to find
something that feels entirely their own.
It’s not just about how they look.
It’s about how they make you feel.
A little stronger.
A little sharper.
A little more you.
And that’s the kind of energy we curate for.
Come experience Kuboraum and find the frame that doesn’t just fit your face… but fits your
story.

04/07/2026

Back from a long weekend… still wrapped in that soft, golden energy.
Hope you all took a moment to slow down and enjoy your Easter break.
There’s something about this time… the light shifts, the colours feel a little richer, a little more
alive.
I found myself drawn to all those delicate tones… and it only felt right to carry that into this
week.
So I reached for a pink tint, eﬀortless, a little playful, but still grounded in style.
Wearing the latest Kuboraum… because sometimes the frame isn’t just an accessory, it’s a
mood.

04/03/2026

Can something be quiet… yet impossible to ignore?
Can something small… still land with force?
Loewe answered that without raising its voice.
The Mini Anagram Cateye isn’t trying to dominate the room. It doesn’t need to.
It’s controlled. Precise. Intentional.
A sharp cateye silhouette, carved in acetate, elevated with a metal inner rim, this is detail work.
The kind you don’t clock immediately, but once you do… it’s over.
It carries that cinematic energy.
Effortless, composed… dangerous in the right way.
The kind of frame that feels like it belongs somewhere between a late-night arrival and a clean
exit.
No noise. Just presence.
This is how you look like the star, without ever asking for the role.
Come see it in person. Try it on. Feel the difference.

04/01/2026

Some logos are designed…
others are felt.
The ones that stay with us, aren’t created out of thin air,
they’re shaped by something deeper.
A kind of energy passed down,
from those who built before us,
from moments that meant something,
from stories that never really left.
For me, that’s always been my grandmother,
my patron saint of style who is the inspiration
behind this logo.
You can’t force that.
You can only recognize it when it’s there.
And sometimes…
it finds its way back.
I have been revisiting one of our older logos
and it’s been sitting with me in a diﬀerent way lately.
Familiar, grounding, still full of life.
So now I am wondering…
Should I bring back the patron saint?

03/30/2026

Some of you know,
when I step away from the shop, it’s to be present with
family. To slow things down. To reconnect.
But the truth is… a part of me never really leaves.
Going through old photos recently, I noticed something I
hadn’t fully put into words before,
this world of eyewear, of frames, of style… it’s always been
there.
In the background.
On faces.
In moments that mattered.
It wasn’t just about seeing better,
it was about how we showed up.
How we carried ourselves.
How we expressed who we were, without saying a word.
That’s the part that stays with me.
Tradition isn’t loud. It lives quietly in the details… and then
one day, you realize you’ve been carrying it forward all
along.
So here’s a thought,
make the memories. Be present. Stay close to your people.
But do it in frames that feel like you.
Because style… has always been part of the story.

03/27/2026

Some frames whisper.
This one doesn’t.
The Howl by Saint Laurent walks in like it owns the room, sharp, unapologetic, and fully aware
of its presence.
At Chinook Optical, we’ve always had a respect for fashion house eyewear. It lives in that space where
style isn’t just an accessory, it’s the statement. Where the line between runway and real life
disappears.
The Howl is exactly that.
It’s bold without asking for permission.
Confident without explanation.
A reminder that eyewear can still carry attitude, real attitude.
This isn’t about playing it safe.
It’s about stepping into something that speaks before you do.
And we respect that.

03/25/2026

1924 Alberta Optometrist’s Convention. My great-grandfather found in the middle of the group. Back then, it meant something diﬀerent. You
can feel it in the images. The way they stood. The way they dressed. Boots tied, polished.
Posture straight. Presence undeniable.
There was integrity in their craft. Not just in what they did, but in how they carried it.
Looking at these pages, I’m reminded that tradition isn’t something to admire from a distance,
it’s something you protect, something you live.
I carry that with me every day.
In how this shop presents itself.
In the people I choose to stand beside.
In the pride we put into every frame that leaves our hands.
Because some things should never be lost.

03/23/2026

There’s a moment we’ve all had -
you catch your reflection mid-day. Maybe it’s after a long week, a late night, or just life moving fast. Your frame is perfect, your outfit is dialed… but your eyes don’t tell the same story.
And that matters more than we like to admit.
That’s where Bausch + Lomb comes in, a name built on over a century of precision and trust. consistency at the highest level.
So when they created LUMIFY Redness Reliever Eye Drops, it wasn’t about covering up, it was
about restoring.
Because LUMIFY doesn’t just “whiten” the eyes.
It uses low-dose brimonidine to selectively reduce redness, bringing your eyes back to a place
that feels like you again.
Clear. Rested. Present.
And the difference is immediate. Within a minute, your eyes look brighter, more awake, more
aligned with how you actually feel inside.
At Chinook Optical, we talk a lot about frames: the lines, the craft, the silhouette.
But the truth is, the most powerful thing you wear is your expression.
And when your eyes are clear, everything else lands differently.
People see it. And most importantly, you feel it.

Address

813 49th Avenue SW
Calgary, AB
T2S1G8

Opening Hours

Monday	9:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	9:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	9:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday	9:30am - 5:30pm
Friday	9:30am - 5:30pm
Saturday	9:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+14032521961

Website

http://www.chinookoptical.com/

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