It has been a fun and exciting day here at CTV Calgary.

We held an open house to celebrate 50 years on the air and we were surprised and honoured by how many people turned out.

"It's thrilling and humbling. To see the impact that we've had on the community for 50 years is fantastic and to have been a part of most of those years is a real thrill," said 37-year CTV News anchor, Darrel Janz.

The open house celebrated a half century of television, but it also marked a 50-year relationship between the station's staff and our loyal viewers.

Shuttle busses brought nearly 2,000 viewers to the station to get a behind-the-scenes look at how CTV Calgary operates.

"It's awesome and the busloads keep coming in and it's 45 to 50 people at a time and I think we've had eight or nine busloads at this point," said CTV Calgary V.P. and General Manager, Len Perry.

Some came for a chance to chat with their favourite news anchor.

Others were more curious about the technical side of local television.

"I find it to be very interesting, all the different aspects and what pulls everything together," commented Elaine Gordillo.

For many, the open house became a homecoming.

Jim Smith, who worked at the station in the 1960s, brought a book of photos.

"It's been a lot of work but I did put them together. I'm surprised people are interested. I thought I'd just do it for me because this is where they were taken. I'm surprised at the interest, not just the staff, but people wandering through. It's quite rewarding actually," said Smith.

"My grandfather was H. Gordon Love who built, owned and operated the station, radio and TV I guess, for almost 50 years," said Dave Love.

"I grew up here, this was my playground. I was an extra for the Buckshot Show. I helped out everywhere," said Kim Gilbart who is the daughter of a former employee.

For many, the big thrill was meeting Buckshot - the friendly cowboy who hosted a children's show on this station for 30 years. Between 1967 and 1997, Ron Barge delighted children on the Buckshot Show. A generation of Calgarians was thrilled to have Buckshot say their names and wish them a happy birthday on the air.

The show went off the air 13 years ago, but we are bringing Buckshot back with a special episode that will air around Christmastime. Today, visitors weren't just lining up to meet Buckshot; they were also entering a draw for a pair of tickets to be part of the studio audience for the taping of that show.

The draw is being made live during the CTV News at 6 p.m.