Calgary police have blocked off multiple blocks of downtown Calgary following morning reports of falling debris hitting cars parked along 1 Street S.W.
The Calgary Fire Department was called to the scene just after 10 a.m., where they found glass fell from the corner of Brookfield Place at 6 Avenue and 1 Street S.W.
Officials said there were no injuries but one police van was struck with the glass while parked a block away.
Police closed 6 Avenue between Centre Street and 2 Street S.W., and 1 Street between 5 Avenue and 7 Avenue S.W. as emergency crews assessed the broken window.
Emergency responders told Global News to expect the road closures to continue for an undetermined amount of time, as weather was impacting emergency response and repair. CFD officials said road closures could be in place for days.
“Safety was our main concern.” Calgary Fire Department district chief Shaun Leonard said. “We closed off a couple of blocks just to make sure any falling glass — with the wind and stuff — that pedestrians and vehicles were safe.”
Global News meteorologist Tiffany Lizee forecasted northerly winds through the day, with gusts up to 60 km/h.
“It is going to be a blustery day, as well as into this evening,” Lizee said on Global News at Noon.
Those heavy winds as well as the design of the building were both factors in a challenging response for crews, according to Leonard.
“We can’t even send our high-angle team over, because of way this building is designed,” Leonard said.
City of Calgary officials said an inspector spent the day on scene and worked with building management on a solution.
“A plan is underway to review what happened,” City of Calgary building safety services manager Cliff De Jong said. “Our inspector has also issued a notice to require the building owner to undertake a review and to undertake the repairs.”
However, a repair is expected to be challenging due to the poor weather conditions and wind gusts in the downtown core.
According to De Jong, a permanent fix would require a swing-stage lowered from the roof of the building, which could be dangerous with high winds.
“Not only are you putting those workers at risk, but they’ve got to get themselves down,” De Jong said.
He said the City of Calgary has an advanced weather forecasting system which provides updates as early as 48 hours prior to wind events, sudden gusts as well as higher-velocity, sustained wind for repair and maintenance of high-rise buildings.
As officials monitor that system, De Jong said a plywood filler could be used as a temporary repair.
For Richard Breslauer, owner of Breslauer & Warren Jewellers on 6 Avenue across from Brookfield Place, Thursday’s incident was “deja-vu of October 2017.”
That October saw three separate incidents involving glass panels on Brookfield Place, which also prompted lengthy closures and an investigation into the integrity of the exterior window panels.
“It’s extremely disruptive,” Breslauer told Global News Thursday. “It’s 9 days until Christmas and everything is blocked off street-wise.”
Brookfield, the property’s management company, did not respond to Global News’ requests for comment.
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