Canstruction®
Helping Wear Out Can Openers Since 1992
Canstruction® Calgary brings together teams of engineers, designers, architects and builders to create extraordinary structures out of non-perishable food items. The structures are judged, exhibited to the public and then de-canstructed, with food going to the Calgary Food Bank. Each year, there is a theme that teams must base their design around. Since 2006, this event has provided nearly 536,682 pounds of food to Calgarians in need. Canstruction® Calgary is the local chapter of Canstruction, a global anti-hunger project founded by the Society for Design Administration, an affiliate organization of the American Institute of Architects. The event is held in more than 50 cities across North America.
BUILD DAY
Retro Toys and Games, You CAN Play
Celebrating 50 Years of Memorable Moments at Southcentre
April 5, 2024 at Southcentre Mall
STRUCTURES ARE ON DISPLAY FROM APRIL 6 TO 21, 2024
OUR April 2024
Participating Teams
Voting is now open! Cast your vote for your favourite structure for the People’s Choice Award
“At Fluor, we strive to build stronger communities by fostering positive, lasting change. CANstruction provides a unique opportunity for us to give back to some of the more vulnerable members of the community by raising food and awareness for the Calgary Food Bank, and having a bit of fun along the way!”
Robert Mitchell
Fluor Canada Ltd.
March 2023 Fast Facts
pounds of food
teams
number of cans
BUILD DAY
OXFORD Properties Witches CAN Ghouls
October 5, 2023, at Eau Claire Tower – 600 3 Ave SW
STRUCTURES ARE ON DISPLAY FROM OCOTBER 6 TO 19, 2023
October 2023 Fast Facts
pounds of food
teams
number of cans
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost?
The entry fee is $150 which is not tax deductible. This money supports the event itself. The remaining cost to the team is the cans of food. If you decide to purchase the cans, estimate $1.50 to $2.50 per can. Other options are employee food drives, joint venture with your partners and other firms, employee “loonie” or “Toonie” donations.
Can we practice beforehand?
Can we have more than five people involved?
Tax receipting information
If you require a donation receipt for the food purchased, submit proof of purchase to the Calgary Food Bank and a donation receipt for the total amount will be issued to the participating organization.
The cost of the entry fee, tape, cardboard, and all other non-food items is not eligible for a tax receipt.
We will not issue tax receipts for food purchased to multiple individuals. *
*If you collect donations from your supporters and then use a portion of those donations to purchase food for the event, we will be unable to provide individual tax receipts. This is because we are unable to determine which of the donations were used to purchase food and which are included in the remaining cash donation and therefore eligible for a tax receipt. This is in accordance with the Canada Revenue Agency guidelines, as we are no longer able to confirm who is the true donor of the cash that we received.
- If you require tax receipts for your supporters, then any cans purchased must be done so from separate funds. Provide us with a list of all your donors and the amount they donated.
- The total amount donated MUST equal the amount on the list of donations otherwise no donation receipts will be issued.
- We cannot issue donation receipts unless all the required information for the donor is provided.
For processing, please submit all the information listed above to the Calgary Food Bank no later than 2 weeks after the event.
What is the time commitment?
It depends and can vary. Some teams meet a few times a week during lunch to develop and create their build. Factor in time to gather materials. CADD drawings are helpful develop the sculpture. The build day is just that—one day. Some teams get together for a dry run prior to the event.
How do we find cans for our team?
Look to vendors and consultants in your industry, and invite them to make a financial contribution towards your sculpture. Team sponsors can be recognized on your team signage, which is displayed during the exhibit. You can also approach food suppliers, food retailers and manufacturers for direct donations. Every team is responsible for acquiring the food for the sculpture.
Ok, I’m in. Now what?
After you submit your $150 entry fee, start building your team and planning your design. Sculptures can range from about 1,000 cans to 10,000 cans. Think about colour and structural support. Tip: stacking single cans 8 feet high will not work. One single large-scale piece might work better than multiple smaller efforts.
- Brainstorm some ideas. Or get inspired … google “Canstruction” to see all kinds of cool designs. YouTube offers many time lapse videos as well.
- Plan your design. Create templates to assist with stacking.
- Experiment. Pre-build difficult aspects prior to build day to ensure they work.
- Challenge yourself and have fun. You will amaze your friends and coworkers (and you will be helping a great cause)!
Get In Touch
Contact our Community Engagement team at 403-253-2059 Ext. 3 or email