Some people visiting the Calgary Tower were able to get a head start on their fitness goals for the new year.

Around lunch time on Dec. 29, the elevators at the tower stopped working, which meant the only way down was to take all 762 stairs to the bottom.

Dorothy Erven, 81, said she couldn't make it down.

“Well we sat for a bit longer and debated whether or not it would be advisable to try going down and because of my age and because of the fact that I have a very sore foot — it's full of arthritis — they said ‘No, Mom you don't do that you just wait,’” Erven explained.

Her daughter, Rita, believes a fire alarm sent both elevators to the lobby where they remained out of service.

They had to wait until 5 p.m. when one of the elevators was fixed.

In the meantime, staff who were working the evening shift had to walk up the stairs.

Erven's family members said it was an adventure but they plan to find another restaurant for Christmas lunch next year.

Scott Hutcheson, chairman and CEO of Aspen Property Management, which owns the Calgary Tower, issued a written statement as to what happened.

“On Saturday, Dec. 29, a building alarm disabled both Calgary Tower elevators. This has never happened before, but we have now identified the problem and have taken steps to ensure that it won’t happen again,” Hutcheson wrote in the statement.

“Guest safety was our top priority and our technicians worked to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience this caused to our guests.”