‘This is one of the cherished assets we need to protect’: Glass panels shattered on Calgary’s Peace Bridge

An act of vandalism caused destruction to one of Calgary’s popular landmarks over the weekend.

According to Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong, the Peace Bridge saw more than 80 per cent of its glass panels shattered in the early hours of Sunday morning.

“It’s really unfortunate that we lost the glass panels there,” Wong said. “We do a lot of things to protect the city and I think this is one of the cherished assets we need to protect.”

Security footage provided by CPS appears to show a vandal smashing around 70 windowpanes panels on the side of the bridge that sits above the Bow River at around 4 a.m. on July 24.

Police said witnesses reported a man in his 40s was using a hammer and bricks to break the panels.
The suspect is described as being 50 to 60 years old with a full mustache, 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-9 and with a slim build.

He was last seen wearing a dark-coloured baseball cap with a white logo, a blue sweater with white or reflective stripes on the shoulders and jeans.

Following the incident, police said the suspect was seen heading towards the alley between 1 Avenue N.W. and 2 Avenue N.W., and was believed to be walking near the area of 8 Street N.W. and 9 Street N.W.

Police believe the same suspect was involved in another instance of vandalism on the Peace Bridge last month. On June 18 at around 1:10 a.m., police said the suspect is believed to have shattered a single windowpane on the bridge.

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“The question is, how do we prevent it?” Wong asked, adding the city may have to “re-evaluate” how the iconic landmark can be fixed to avoid similar vandalism from occurring in the future.

“To hear that it’s been knocked down is devastating because it is a cost,” he said. “It’s an unfortunate cost to the city… so we have to re-evaluate do we do this again? If so, do we look at different materials?”

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“The question is, how do we prevent it?” Wong asked of the incident, adding the city may have to “re-evaluate” how the iconic landmark can be fixed to avoid similar vandalism from occurring in the future.

“To hear that it’s been knocked down is devastating because it is a cost,” he said. “It’s an unfortunate cost to the city… so we have to re-evaluate do we do this again? If so, do we look at different materials?”

It’s a notion echoed by Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharpe.

“One thing I’ve been relaying back to my constituents and those that have been asking is that we’ve been using original glass panels until now, and now the supply of those is becoming exhausted and we’re going to have to start looking at new options and materials,” Sharpe told Global News on Monday.

“I do believe that administration is coming with some sort of recommendation at the end of summer on what kind of materials, or what kind of alternate materials there are.”

Sharpe noted Plexiglas or some other durable plastic could be a possible option.

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Police are investigating the incident.

“The question is, how do we prevent it?” Wong asked of the incident, adding the city may have to “re-evaluate” how the iconic landmark can be fixed to avoid similar vandalism from occurring in the future.

“To hear that it’s been knocked down is devastating because it is a cost,” he said. “It’s an unfortunate cost to the city… so we have to re-evaluate do we do this again? If so, do we look at different materials?”

It’s a notion echoed by Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharpe.

“One thing I’ve been relaying back to my constituents and those that have been asking is that we’ve been using original glass panels until now, and now the supply of those is becoming exhausted and we’re going to have to start looking at new options and materials,” Sharpe told Global News on Monday.

“I do believe that administration is coming with some sort of recommendation at the end of summer on what kind of materials, or what kind of alternate materials there are.”

Sharpe noted Plexiglas or some other durable plastic could be a possible option.