Peace Bridge heavily damaged after act of vandalism
Calgary’s Peace Bridge has once again sustained major damage, just weeks after a similar incident along the iconic walkway.
Police now say they believe one person was involved in both cases.
On Sunday, CPS received reports that someone was breaking panes of glass along the bridge around 4 a.m. In total, about 70 panels were shattered — with each estimated to cost thousands of dollars to fix.
Advertisement
“There was a vandal that decided to willfully damage the rail and hit the glass,” Charmaine Buhler, Bridge Maintenance Manager at Calgary Roads, told CityNews on Monday.
Buhler says each panel costs about $12,000 to replace. This brings the total cost of damages in Sunday’s incident to approximately $840,000. Most of the shattered panels are along the right side of the bridge.
Shortly after the damage was done, police say the suspect was seen heading towards an alley between First Avenue N.W. and Second Avenue N.W. CPS adds the suspect was then seen walking to the area of Eighth Street N.W. and Ninth Street N.W.
This incident comes after a similar call on June 18. At that time, officers received reports that a man was shattering glass panels along the bridge just after 1 a.m., though only one was shattered.
The suspect in both instances is described as a man between 50 to 60 years old, between 5’6″ to 5’9″ tall with a slim build, weighing about 150 pounds. He has a full mustache.
Advertisement
Calgary police are looking for a suspect in connection with damage done to the Peace Bridge on Sunday, July 24. Dozens of panes of glass were shattered, CPS says. (Courtesy CPS)
With respect to the damage done on Sunday, police say the suspect was seen wearing a dark-coloured baseball cap with a white logo, a blue sweater with white or reflective stripes on the shoulders, and jeans.
Calgary police are looking for a suspect in connection with damage done to the Peace Bridge on Sunday, July 24. Dozens of panes of glass were shattered, CPS says. (Courtesy CPS)
“We know the Peace Bridge is an iconic art structure in our city, and we know Calgarians are upset by the vandalism and damage caused to something that is meant to be enjoyed by everyone,” said acting Staff-Sgt. Liana Deegan of the General Investigations Unit.
Peace Bridge damage comes after anti-vandalism campaign
The latest incident comes after the City of Calgary launched an initiative in an attempt to protect the city landmark from more damage.
The city had opened a “Vandalism Gallery” on the bridge to remind Calgarians of the importance of keeping the bridge intact, as it represents an attraction for tourists and people across the city.
The gallery includes several hanging “works of art” that have been defaced in the hopes of reinforcing the fact that the Peace Bridge is not only a bridge but also a piece of art.
Advertisement
“In recent years, we have seen an increase in vandalism to the Peace Bridge’s glass panels, mainly from people throwing rocks at the bridge from the east riverbed,” Buhler previously said. “These incidents tend to increase in the summer months, so we wanted to do something to raise awareness and encourage people to look after this piece of art.”
READ MORE:
The city says it costs roughly $80,000 a year to remove and replace broken panels, and it’s looking at using materials other than glass to reduce the cost.
The city said a month ago that it was adding daily patrols and security cameras in an effort to deter vandals.
Police are looking for anyone with more information about what happened in either of the two incidents. You can contact CPS by calling 403-266-1234 or report a tip anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
— With files from Rachneet Randhawa and Alejandro Melgar
