Toronto Aga Khan Museum + Ismaili Centre | ?m | ?s | Aga Khan Dev. | Maki and Associates

I thought it was for Christmas too...I could have sworn that I'd seen those same red and green colours on other days as well.

That being said (and hopefully not too off-topic), is there any way to tell what the CN tower is honouring on any particular occasion? The official website (http://www.cntowerlights.com/cn-tower-lighting-policy-schedule/) only lists one special occasion: St Patrick's Day. I know for a fact that there have been numerous other times when I've seen non-standard lighting patterns (I can see the tower out of my living room window so I see the lights basically every night).

The colours on those two days were specifically for the Aga Khan, hence they reverted on subsequent days - though it is possible that they've used the same colours on other occassions. When the Aga Khan was in Calgary on November 24th, the flame atop the Calgary Tower was also lit in his honor - parallel to the CN Tower lights the two days prior.

Picture of the Aga Khan's red and green flag (that would be the Aga Khan on the left, with the PM on the right):
capt.3ef3639c4ba842bdb5607cda50d187fb.canada_aga_khan_harper_ottk103.jpg
 
At the risk of going too far off topic, I wanted to provide a few pictures of the Ottawa Aga Khan project, designed by the same architect as the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. I want to also highlight that these projects are funded by the Aga Khan and his community in full - so they, particularly the public park for Toronto, could really be seen as gifts to the city.

Click on the pictures for full-size:



 
At the risk of going too far off topic, I wanted to provide a few pictures of the Ottawa Aga Khan project, designed by the same architect as the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. I want to also highlight that these projects are funded by the Aga Khan and his community in full - so they, particularly the public park for Toronto, could really be seen as gifts to the city.

Not to be cynical or anything, but all we have received so far is the destruction of a great piece of Toronto architecture. We are still waiting for the promised but much delayed 'gift'.
 
Man that Ottawa project is ugly.

Ottawa project - opinions will always vary but I suggest a read of the article in the Ottawa Citizen. Do you suggest they withdraw Fumihiko Maki's Pritzker Prize and UIA Gold medal and also withdraw the US's selection of him as architect of one of the World Trade Centre Towers? LOL! I'm just kidding of course. Some people don't like Sir Normon Foster designs also - and that is their prerogative :)

Pretty sure the lights on the CN Tower were for Christmas, not Aga Khan.

CN Tower piece is not a debate - I'm sharing information from the City of Toronto. The Aga Khan has extremely high protocol status in Canada.

We are still waiting for the promised but much delayed 'gift'.

The delay is annoying to me also. I just believe people are underestimating the engagement at the highest levels with respect to getting things going. If the PM says he wants to be there, and also says he can't make it till X date, that is an issue that results in a delay. What to do?
 
Last edited:
This page has the official lighting schedule for the CN Tower...

http://www.cntower.ca/plan_your_visit/attractions/night_lighting/

The lighting in late November and early December is supposed to reflect each participating neighbourhood in Toronto's Cavalcade of Lights. Aga Khan's name does not show up in the schedule (according to the schedule, red and green are "holiday lighting"), but the page does say that "dedicated nondenominational charitable events" are allowed to make requests for special lighting on the tower.
 
I'm really really leaning toward the it was just the regular Christmas light pattern ... but I don't want to burst anyone's bubble :)
 
I agree. I hardly think that the lighting pattern on the city's (hell, the country's) most recognizable landmark was adjusted to reflect the visit of someone the vast majority of the population has never heard of.
 
I'm really really leaning toward the it was just the regular Christmas light pattern ... but I don't want to burst anyone's bubble :)

Agreed. The posted schedule even states that the red and green that night was 'holiday' lighting.
 
The lighting in late November and early December is supposed to reflect each participating neighbourhood in Toronto's Cavalcade of Lights.

We're somewhat off topic at this point, but just to close this out - if you had looked at the calendars for the Direct Energy Centre, the Rogers Centre and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the 18-24th of November time-frame, you would not have seen any reservations there relating to the Aga Khan visit - yet all were used for this purpose (some exclusively, such as the Rogers Centre, and some for not the entire period noted). It is the nature of such visits and events that things are not listed - or even listed with more generic labels.

Lets move on ...

vvv - thanks for the catch - and very funny :)
 
Last edited:
Define what is "ugly" about the building Kristopher. Also define the term "ugly"....

well you know..ugly, like stuff..like at the mall and stuff...and things that aren't cool and stuff.

p5
 
Last edited:
The lights are just the regular CN tower christmas lights. It was like that last year during this time, and it was already that pattern before the visit.
 
Maybe they could build it first ... and then gloat about it ;)
 

Back
Top