Calgary condo buildings · Updated September 13, 2026
The Guardian
1122 3 St SE and 1188 3 St SE, Calgary · Also known as Guardian Towers, The Guardian North
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The Guardian is a pair of 44-storey towers in Victoria Park with about 640 condos between them, among the tallest residential buildings in Calgary. Both towers have poor Google ratings: 3.0 out of 5 for Tower I from 69 reviews and 2.7 for South Tower II from 62, with elevators by far the most common complaint. Reddit adds hot water issues and short-term rentals in the south tower.
- Address
- 1122 3 St SE and 1188 3 St SE, Calgary
- Neighbourhood
- Victoria Park
- Completed
- 2018
- Storeys
- 44 (each tower)
- Suites
- 640
- Towers
- 2
- Developer
- Not confirmed in our sources
- Transit
- About 380 m from Victoria Park/Stampede station on the Red Line
About The Guardian
The twin towers share a podium with parking and live/work space on 3 Street SE, a few blocks from the Stampede grounds, the Saddledome and the 17th Avenue restaurants. Suites range from one-bedrooms under 500 sq ft to the 2,600 sq ft Paramount Suites at the top, according to a 2018 Calgary Herald feature.
Residents share a 1,350 sq ft social club with a garden terrace on the 7th floor, a fitness centre and yoga studio, a workshop and 24/7 concierge.
Completion is taken from an October 2018 Calgary Herald feature describing the towers as complete; separate completion dates for each tower could not be confirmed. We could not confirm the developer from a source we can link.
Where The Guardian is
The Guardian is at 1122 3 St SE and 1188 3 St SE in Victoria Park. About 380 m from Victoria Park/Stampede station on the Red Line.
The labelled marker is this building; the dots are other buildings covered in this guide. Select a marker to open its card.
Looking at other options in the area? See real estate agents serving Beltline or the best neighbourhoods in Calgary.
The Guardian building amenities
- 24/7 concierge
- Fitness centre
- Yoga studio
- Workshop
- Owners' lounge
- 7th-floor garden terrace
- BBQ area
- Bike storage
Justin Havre, Best Calgary Homes, Calgary City Condos and Jesse Davies Team building profiles.
The Guardian photos
The Guardian reviews: the Google rating
Google reviews are the largest public sample of resident opinion for most condo buildings. The breakdown matters more than the average: a building with as many one-star as five-star reviews is a very different place from one with a steady spread of fours.
3.0
★★★★★69 Google reviews
- 5 star23
- 4 star8
- 3 star7
- 2 star5
- 1 star26
What reviews mention most
- Elevators · 20
- Management · 8
- Views · 6
- Floors · 5
- Pay · 4
- Concierge · 3
- Costs · 3
- Location · 3
South Tower II at 1188 3 St SE has its own listing, rated 2.7 from 62 reviews (29 one-star), with elevators mentioned in 25. A third listing for the sales presentation centre is not used.
Google Maps listing at Tower I, 1122 3 St SE, as of July 7, 2026. Topics are the themes Google identifies in reviews, with the number of reviews mentioning each. Read the reviews on Google Maps
What residents praise
- Views and large balconies
- Concierge
- Location near the Stampede grounds and 17th Avenue
What residents complain about
- Elevator outages, the top topic in both towers' reviews
- Hot water problems raised on Reddit
- Short-term rentals and management in the south tower
What people say about The Guardian on Reddit and forums
A summary of the threads that come up when people search for this building. Reddit skews toward people with a problem or a question, so weigh it alongside the Google breakdown above.
The overall picture
The Guardian's forum threads line up with its low Google ratings. Residents like the views and balconies, but elevator outages come up repeatedly, a 2022 thread complains about hot water, and commenters say the south tower is worse than the north.
Elevators
NegativeA 2025 thread is devoted to elevator problems in the second tower, and a 2021 resident says outages are annoying when one or two are down.
Hot water
NegativeA 2022 thread with 40+ comments asks what residents are doing about water that is lukewarm at best.
North versus south tower
MixedA 2025 commenter says the north tower has no short-term rentals and is residential friendly, while the south tower is a mess.
Views
PositiveResidents praise the views and big balconies, and a former resident says they enjoyed living there overall.
The threads behind this summary
- Thoughts on the Guardian Towers?
r/Calgary · 2025 · 10+ comments
Mixed“The Guardian towers have a few units for sale. No short term airbnb in North tower and very residential friendly. South tower is a mess.”
- Guardian 2 elevators
r/Calgary · 2025 · 10+ comments
Negative - Thoughts on The Guardian South Tower (1188 3 St SE)
r/Calgary · 2023 · 10+ comments
Mixed“Overall, I enjoyed my time living at Guardian but I moved to another condo building downtown and have had virtually no issues since moving.”
- Guardian towers
r/Calgary · 2022 · 40+ comments
Negative“What's everyone doing for hot water? Most days it's warm at best and lately just freezing.”
- The Guardian Towers
r/Calgary · 2021 · 30+ comments
Mixed“Absolutely beautiful views and big balconies, the elevators can be annoying when there is one or two down for maintenance.”
Summaries are our reading of the linked threads and review pages. Excerpts are quoted verbatim from each thread’s public snippet, including spelling; open the thread for full context. Dates are approximate.
What's near The Guardian: transit, restaurants and parks
CTrain stations, bus stops, and the most-reviewed places within about a kilometre of 1122 3 St SE. Use the filters to show only what you care about, and select a marker for photos, details and walking directions.
Transit stop locations are from Calgary Transit schedule data. Place locations come from Google Maps listings and are rounded to about 100 m, so a marker can sit a little off the actual entrance.
Transit near The Guardian
The closest CTrain station to The Guardian is Victoria Park/Stampede Station on Red Line, about a 6-minute walk (380 m). Bus routes 24, 10, 302, MP, 1, 151, 131 and 117 stop within 500 m.
CTrain stations
- R
Victoria Park/Stampede Station
Red Line
6 min · 380 m - BR
City Hall/Bow Valley College Station
Blue Line and Red Line
8 min · 530 m - BR
Centre Street Station
Blue Line and Red Line
10 min · 660 m
Calgary Transit's schedule data marks the 7 Avenue stations downtown as the Free Fare Zone, where CTrain rides between those stations are free.
Bus routes within 500 m
- 24OgdenNearest stop: EB 12 AV SE @ 3 ST SE1 min · 50 m
- 10City Hall/SouthcentreNearest stop: NB Macleod TR @ 12 AV SE3 min · 170 m
- 302BRT Southeast/City CentreNearest stop: EB 9 AV @ Macleod TR SE5 min · 340 m
- MPMAX Purple City Centre/East HillsNearest stop: EB 9 AV @ Macleod TR SE5 min · 340 m
- 1Bowness/Forest LawnNearest stop: EB 9 AV @ Macleod TR SE5 min · 340 m
- 151New Brighton ExpressNearest stop: EB 9 AV SE @ Macleod TR5 min · 340 m
- 131East Bow ExpressNearest stop: EB 9 AV SE @ Macleod TR5 min · 340 m
- 117McKenzie Towne ExpressNearest stop: EB 9 AV SE @ Macleod TR5 min · 340 m
Stations and routes from Calgary Transit’s official schedule data (Calgary Transit Scheduling Data (GTFS), City of Calgary Open Data, published September 9, 2026). Overnight routes are not shown. Walking times are estimates based on straight-line distance. View the dataset
Restaurants, parks and things to do near The Guardian
Restaurants near The Guardian
- No free photo available6 min walk
Kondattam Indian Kitchen & Bar
Restaurant
★★★★★4.7 (2,545)
Upten Apartments, 1006 1st St SE · 400 m
- No free photo available7 min walk
- No free photo available10 min walk
- No free photo available10 min walk
- No free photo available11 min walk
- No free photo available12 min walk
Cafés and bakeries near The Guardian
- No free photo available10 min walk
Rosso Coffee Roasters - Stephen Ave
Coffee shop
★★★★★4.5 (569)
140 8 Ave SE · 620 m
- No free photo available10 min walk
- No free photo available10 min walk
Good Earth Coffeehouse - Verve, East Village
Coffee shop
★★★★★4.3 (394)
615 6 Ave SE #190 · 640 m
- No free photo available13 min walk
- No free photo available13 min walk
Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters - Simmons Building Cafe
Cafe
★★★★★4.5 (945)
618 Confluence Way SE · 830 m
- No free photo available14 min walk
Grocery stores near The Guardian
- No free photo available4 min walk
LE CONTINENT AFRO CARIBBEAN ORGANIC FOOD & COFFEE SHOP
Grocery store
★★★★★4.6 (10)
1002 Macleod Trl SE · 230 m
- No free photo available6 min walk
- No free photo available9 min walk
- No free photo available10 min walk
Real Canadian Superstore Calgary 6th Ave
Grocery store
★★★★★4.1 (3,561)
428 6 Ave SE · 620 m
- No free photo available17 min walk
- No free photo available19 min walk
Parks and green space near The Guardian
- No free photo available3 min walk
- No free photo available9 min walk
- No free photo available10 min walk
ENMAX Park
City park
★★★★★4.5 (340)
Elbow River Pathway & MacDonald Ave SE · 670 m
- No free photo available12 min walk
- No free photo available14 min walk
- No free photo available14 min walk
Things to do near The Guardian
Places and ratings from Google Maps listings, retrieved September 13, 2026. Restaurants and cafés are limited to places rated 4.3 or higher, and every category is filtered to listings with enough reviews to be meaningful. Walking times are estimates based on straight-line distance. Businesses open, close and move, so check before you go.
Who The Guardian suits, and who should look elsewhere
A good fit for
Buyers who want high-floor views and balconies at a lower price than newer Beltline towers, and who can live with elevator waits; the north tower gets better reports on Reddit.
Look elsewhere if you are
You rely on elevators daily or want a quiet, owner-occupied building. Check the board minutes for elevator repairs and short-term rental rules.
Before you buy in any Alberta condo, ask for the estoppel certificate, the reserve fund study and plan, recent board minutes and the bylaws; together they show the corporation’s finances, special assessments and upcoming repairs. Use the condo fee calculator to check monthly costs and the land title fee calculator for closing.
The Guardian FAQ
How tall are the Guardian towers in Calgary?
The Guardian is two towers of 44 storeys each, with about 640 condos in total according to Justin Havre's building profile.
Why are the Guardian's Google reviews so low?
Elevators. They are mentioned in 20 of Tower I's reviews and 25 of South Tower II's, far more than any other topic. Tower I is rated 3.0 and South Tower II 2.7 out of 5.
Which Guardian tower is better?
Reddit commenters describe the north tower as more residential, with no short-term rentals, and call the south tower a mess. Google ratings are similar, with Tower I slightly higher.
What CTrain station is closest to The Guardian?
The closest CTrain station to The Guardian is Victoria Park/Stampede Station on Red Line, about a 6-minute walk (380 m). Bus routes 24, 10, 302, MP, 1, 151, 131 and 117 stop within 500 m.
What grocery stores are near The Guardian?
The closest well-reviewed grocery stores are LE CONTINENT AFRO CARIBBEAN ORGANIC FOOD & COFFEE SHOP at 1002 Macleod Trl SE (4 min walk), Sunterra Market, Keynote at 200 12 Ave SE (6 min walk) and East Calgary General Store at 746 5 St SE (9 min walk).
Condo buildings near The Guardian
Victoria Park · 60 m away
Arriva
Completed 2007 · 34 storeys
★★★★★ 3.9 from 16 Google reviews
Victoria Park · 410 m away
Vetro
Completed 2008 · 34 storeys
★★★★★ 3.8 from 98 Google reviews
Victoria Park · 440 m away
Sasso
Completed 2006 · 24 storeys
★★★★★ 3.5 from 71 Google reviews
East Village · 620 m away
Arris Residences
Completed 2024 · 41 storeys
★★★★★ 4.6 from 15 Google reviews
Next steps for The Guardian
- Tell us the city and we match you with an agent who already works Victoria Park.
- Browse agents serving Beltline.
- Estimate monthly costs with the condo fee calculator and closing with the land title fee calculator.
- Still choosing an area? Start with the best neighbourhoods in Calgary.
Sources
- Justin Havre: The Guardian
- Calgary Herald: The Guardian in Victoria Park boasts breathtaking views (October 2018)
- Victoria Park BIA: The Guardian
- Best Calgary Homes: The Guardian
- Google Maps: The Guardian South Tower II
- Google Maps listing (snapshot July 7, 2026)
- Calgary Transit Scheduling Data (GTFS), City of Calgary Open Data
- 5 Reddit threads and review pages, linked above
Researched September 13, 2026. Ratings and resident opinion change; check the linked sources for the latest before making a decision.