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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.

05/27/2026

One thing I’ve really come to appreciate through sharing these little moments in ‘Anna’s View’… is how many parts of entrepreneurship happen quietly behind the scenes.

As a woman leading a business with over a century of history behind it, I’ve come to realize entrepreneurship isn’t only about growth or success. It’s also the responsibility you carry for your clients, your team, and the legacy you’re trying to protect every single day.

Over the years at Chinook Optical, I’ve realized that leadership isn’t about having all the answers or always being the loudest voice in the room. True communication starts somewhere much simpler… it starts with listening.

Listening to your team when they’re searching. Listening to your clients when they need reassurance. Listening to understand, not simply to respond.

Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned while carrying on the legacy of Chinook Optical have also come from quiet conversations. The moments where people simply wanted to feel heard.

And maybe that’s what building a lasting business is really about in the end. Not just serving people… but truly caring for
them.

— Anna

05/25/2026

Van’s current favourite?
The Theo Cheer.

Sharp without feeling too serious.
Light on the face, strong on character.

It’s one of those frames that instantly pulls a look together, understated, but impossible to overlook once it’s on.

A little playful. A little refined.
Very Theo.

And very much Van approved.

05/22/2026

Some things don’t need reinvention.
They just need conviction.

That’s always been the beauty of MOSCOT. A brand that never chased noise, never bent itself trying to fit whatever trend was having a moment. Generation after generation, they stayed close to what they understood best… timeless frames, real craftsmanship, character, and consistency.

There’s something deeply inspiring about that.

In a world obsessed with “new,” MOSCOT reminds us that legacy is built differently. Quietly. Patiently. Through trust. Through identity. Through knowing exactly who you are and refusing to dilute it.

And honestly, we feel a strong parallel to that at Chinook Optical.

Being an independent optical store today means standing behind your point of view. It means building relationships over algorithms. Taking your time. Curating with intention. Knowing your clients by name, not by data points.

The independent world survives because of people who care enough to keep showing up with consistency.

That’s why MOSCOT makes sense here. Not because it’s loud. Because it’s lasting.

Some things earn relevance by staying true to themselves long enough for the world to catch up.

05/20/2026

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the value of human presence.

Not just service. Not hospitality. Presence.

As AI becomes part of everyday life, we’re watching nearly everything become faster, more optimized, more automated. Answers arrive instantly. Recommendations appear before conversations even begin. Efficiency has become the standard across almost every industry.

But I don’t think people are truly searching for efficiency anymore. I think they’re searching for feeling. For discernment. For trust.

And in a world increasingly shaped by AI, human sensitivity becomes incredibly important.

At Chinook Optical, being independent has always meant protecting that human element. The ability to slow down and really see someone. To understand how they move through the world, how they carry themselves, what makes them feel confident. Sometimes the right frame has very little to do with trends or brands. It’s about intuition. Listening between the lines. Reading energy, not just measurements.

That kind of understanding comes from experience, from conversation, from care.

I think independent optical stores have an opportunity to offer something technology cannot replicate: perspective, warmth, nuance, human connection.

Because the future of luxury, in my eyes, won’t be defined by excess. It will be defined by meaning. By spaces that still feel personal. By people who remember your name, your story, the way you felt in your last pair of glasses.

The more the world moves toward automation, the more powerful genuine human touch becomes.

— Anna

05/18/2026

The right frame doesn’t just suit someone… it becomes part of the personality.

Morgan’s pick? The Okinawa by Jacques Durand. A frame with presence, character, and just the right amount of attitude. Paired with a transition lens, it shifts with the light and somehow makes every moment feel a little more cinematic.

Coffee run, afternoon sun, late drive home, it just works.

Come by and try Morgan’s current obsession on for yourself. Warning: you may not want to give them back.

05/15/2026

Some frames just understand the assignment.

At Chinook Optical, we’ve always believed something simple about eyewear: it doesn’t have to be boring.

KREWE is from New Orleans (which already gives it so much personality), but it feels completely at home here in Calgary. Frames that could just as easily sit in a café window, on a rooftop at golden hour, or anywhere you want that “I just threw this on” energy, even though the look is very considered.

Bold, a little playful, always well styled… like they already know they’re part of the outfit before you even get dressed.

It’s not about trying too hard. It’s about that effortless balance where everything just clicks. And gets it right every time.

05/13/2026

There are women who leave behind memories.
And then there are women who leave behind a presence so strong… you feel it long after they’re gone.

My mom was that kind of woman.

She had style, but not the kind you could buy.
It was in the way she carried herself.
The way she walked into a room with warmth, elegance, and quiet confidence.
She taught me that true style was never about being the loudest person in the room… it was about leaving an impression people never forgot.

Even now, I still catch myself chasing pieces of her.
In the way I speak to clients.
In the details I notice.
In my love for beautiful things with meaning behind them.

She understood that presentation mattered because it was a reflection of care.
Care for yourself. Care for others. Care for the life you were creating.

When she passed, she didn’t just leave memories and a legacy.
She left a standard -
A way of loving people.
A way of showing up.
A way of making others feel seen.

And truthfully… there are days when the weight of running a business, being ‘strong,’ and holding everything together feels overwhelming.
In those moments, I always come back to the same thought:

“What would Biba do?”

And somehow, the answer always finds me.

I think of the grace she carried through hard moments.
The strength she wore so effortlessly.
And I remind myself that everything I’m building today carries her fingerprints on it.

Chinook Optical will always be rooted in family for that reason.
Not just because of history… but because of her.

- Anna

{Happy Mother’s Day to all}

05/11/2026

Staff pick of the week: the Maske P31 col. TMN from

An easy choice once you see how naturally it pairs with , the frame takes on a completely different attitude as the light changes. We see the strong presence and effortless wear.

Some frames just adapt to your lifestyle. This one evolves with it.

05/08/2026

Eyewear often is designed to follow trends. Jacques Durand was built to outlive them.

What draws us to the brand is its restraint. Sculptural acetate, matte hand finished textures, architectural lines, every frame feels intentional without ever trying too hard.

Founded by a designer who helped shape modern eyewear culture, Jacques Durand carries a quiet confidence that’s become increasingly rare. No oversized logos. No excess. Just pure form, balance, and craftsmanship.

That’s why it found its way on to our shelves.

Discover the collection in-store and experience eyewear reduced to its purest form.

05/06/2026

Anna’s View -

I spent Saturday evening at the 2026 LOOK Gala - a night rooted in art, but really defined by the people it brings together.

I kept running into familiar faces: clients, friends, our community. I’ve always believed we have the most stylish clients, and that night was another brilliant confirmation.

As an entrepreneur, I value these moments. Seeing how an institution like Contemporary Calgary creates space for connection through culture and creativity reflects what I try to build every day, just on a different scale.

For me, it’s never only about product. It’s about people, energy, and contributing to something that connects the city.

A reminder that we are all part of something much bigger.

-

Thanks to for having me at their table. It was a pleasure.

-

Friends/Clients/Mentors/Inspirations…..
{ 📸 }

05/04/2026

Some frames decorate.
This one distorts.

The Theo Eye Witness YJ isn’t built in the usual sense, it’s drawn, layered, almost misaligned on purpose. Lines echo each other, colours behave like shadows, and suddenly something flat starts to look like it has depth.

You’re not just wearing a frame, you’re wearing perception.

There’s a slight tension to it.
A controlled imbalance that feels… alive.

That’s what made it an instant staff pick. Not because it’s easy but because it dynamic.

Try it on and see what shifts first:
the frame, or the way people look at you.

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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