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The damage will cost the city tens of thousands of dollars to repair, according to Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong
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July 24, 2022 • 1 hour ago • 3 minutes read • 17 comments Damage is shown on the Peace Bridge near downtown Calgary on Sunday, July 24, 2022. Several panels have broken, causing thousands of damages Jim Wells/Postmedia
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Calgary police are investigating after a man wielding a hammer and bricks smashed dozens of glass panels on the city’s Peace Bridge early Sunday morning.
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Officers were called to the bridge shortly after 4 a.m. to reports of a man walking from the south end of the bridge, smashing glass panels with a hammer, bricks and possibly a piece of rebar, the sergeant John Guigon said Sunday.
Almost every panel of the bridge’s glass balustrade had been damaged when officers arrived, Guigon said.
The damage will cost the city tens of thousands of dollars to repair, according to Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong.
The local councilor visited the Peace Bridge on Sunday to assess the damage and said that between 35 and 40 panels are completely broken or damaged. Last month, the council heard from city administration in a report that it cost about $80,000 to replace six panels.
“This is not something we can do every month. There is a lot of devastation there,” Wong said. “We have to find a way to convince the public that this is not the right way to behave.”
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He said his initial thought was that the extent of the damage caused is disturbing.
“(Saturday), I biked over there with the Climate Hub as part of a bike tour and we really enjoyed the bridge, and you come back to see that 80 percent of the side has collapsed. It’s not a nice view,” he said.
Signs notify cyclists and pedestrians of the damage on the Peace Bridge near downtown Calgary, Sunday, July 24, 2022. Several panels were broken, causing thousands of damage. Jim Wells/Postmedia
The City of Calgary launched a campaign to try to mitigate vandalism on the bridge last month by promoting the structure as a work of art.
The city said vandalism to the bridge’s glass panels has increased, mostly by people throwing rocks from the riverbed.
Several defaced paintings hang from the top of the bridge to remind people that the bridge itself is a work of art.
“You are in a work of art,” reads a sign hanging from one of the freshly broken glass panels.
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Damage is shown on the Peace Bridge near downtown Calgary on Sunday, July 24, 2022. Several panels have broken off, causing thousands of damage. Jim Wells/Postmedia
Wong said the city needs to find a better material for the side panels so they don’t break easily, and said more monitoring and enforcement is needed.
“We need people to see this is happening and report it. Likewise, we need to put more surveillance on the bridge itself to identify who and why, and turn it over to Calgary police so they can follow up.” said the counselor.
Guigon said the suspect was spotted by responding officers heading downtown, where he got lost. No arrests have been made.
Calgary police said there were witnesses who took videos of the vandalism and CCTV footage is available, so the investigation is ongoing.
Damage to the Peace Bridge near downtown Calgary on Sunday, July 24, 2022. Several panels have broken off, causing thousands of damage. Jim Wells/Postmedia
The city’s iconic bridge has received much criticism due to its costly repairs, initial price tag and construction delays. The bridge opened in March 2012 and cost $24.5 million to connect Sunnyside to Eau Claire across the Bow River.
The bridge sees thousands of pedestrians and cyclists every day, but the city has had to continually try to deter vandalism.
In 2016, updated security cameras and foot patrols by city security personnel were introduced in an effort to prevent vandals from breaking the bridge’s glass elements. And in 2019, replacement panels were bought in bulk to save money after another vandalism incident.
City officials did not immediately comment when contacted by Postmedia on Sunday.
Cyclists and pedestrians look at the damage to the Peace Bridge near downtown Calgary on Sunday, July 24, 2022. Several panels were broken, causing thousands of damage. Jim Wells/Postmedia
— With files from Jason Herring
sbabych@postmedia.comTwitter: @BabychStephanie
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