Framed
Q. What has been the secret to the longevity
of Chinook Optical?
A. We pride ourselves on our 100-plus year histo-
ry in Calgary due to our focus on service. We are
patient-focused and offer only the very best-quality
frames and lens options. Our clients know that they
are getting a quality focused experience when they
come to our store and we are thrilled to continue the
legacy of service that was started in 1916.
Q. Please tell us more about your business -
what are your most popular products, who is
your clientele, what services do you offer.
A century in
Calgary
By Denis Langlois
Calgary’s Chinook Optical has been owned by gener-
ations of the same family for just over 100 years.
The business was founded in 1916 as Consolidated
Optical by optometrist Dr. E.S. Tharp.
His son, B.J.S. Tharp, became a doctor of optometry
as well, after serving in the navy in the Second World
War. He worked for his father in Calgary and opened
Chinook Optical in 1960 in Chinook Centre.
Dr. B.J.S. Tharp’s daughter, Biba Tharp, studied art
and design at a European university, but later found
her way to the family business, becoming a licenced
optician. She acquired the store in 2004 and moved it
to its current location in 2009 in the Britannia Plaza.
Biba Tharp’s daughter, Anna Niemczewski, is also
a licenced optician. She joined the business a few
years ago and now runs Chinook Optical.
The team at Chinook Optical also includes a master
optician, who has been in the industry for more than
50 years, and six other staff members.
Recently, Optical Prism spoke with Biba Tharp and
Anna Niemczewski about Chinook Optical and its
success in Calgary.
38 Optical Prism | November 2019
A. Our clients come to us because we offer a very dif-
ferent experience and more unique options to what’s
available elsewhere in Calgary. We love independent
eyewear brands and have grown our stable of brands
annually. We are focused on glasses because we love
them and attract a patient base who loves them too.
Life’s too short not to wear fabulous eyewear and
have fun while doing so. We are thrilled to offer
comprehensive eye care from our incredible optom-
etrist and continue the service and care through the
dispensary with all of our experienced opticians.
Q. What are your plans for the future of
Chinook Optical?
A. While we love to celebrate the past, we are always
focused on the future. My daughter and I both have
Master’s degrees in product design and have started
designing our own eyewear line as an extension of
the store. It is made in Canada, in small batches with
earth-friendly materials.
This new endeavour is called ‘Modern Legacy Eye-
wear’ and has already borne collaborations with local
artists for lens cloth designs and a Calgary-based
company who collaborated with us to develop an
all-natural lens spray cleaner that is sold in our store.
We wanted to merge our design and optical skills
while also giving back to our community so the sale of
every frame results in a donation made to a local and
national charity. OP