Calgarians can now register to retrieve bricks from Olympic Plaza

A change to a controversial decision could have some Calgarians celebrating.

The city, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), and Arts Commons say those who purchased a brick in Olympic Plaza ahead of the 1988 Calgary games will now be able to register to retrieve their brick.

Some of the 33,000 bricks have already been removed by their respective owners, a sign of defiance after the CMLC and partners announced in August the bricks wouldn’t be saved for integration into the revitalized Olympic Plaza.

Officials said at the time removing and returning the bricks to buyers was considered, but deemed unfeasible due to their age and condition. CMLC also said that option would come at a significant cost.

Calgarians with bricks were instead given the option to use the Olympic Brick Finder to locate their brick and have a photographer grab a picture. CMLC also provided materials for Calgarians to take home a rubbing of their brick.

According to the city, more than 300 Calgarians took part in these activities.

Now, after pushback from members of the community, officials say another option is being made available for those who want to get their brick back.

“We understand there is still an interest from Calgarians, who purchased an Olympic brick in 1988, to retrieve them,” Thom Mahler, director of downtown strategy, said in a statement. “While it is not feasible to remove all 33,000 bricks due to their age and condition, the city and our partners at CMLC will attempt to extract bricks for Calgarians who remain interested.”

Starting Tuesday, Calgarians can register to retrieve their brick at one of two events on Jan. 3 and Jan. 4, 2025.

Registration opens at 8 a.m. on Dec. 10 and will close at 8 p.m. on Dec. 18.

More information on registration can be found here.

The dismantling of Olympic Plaza as it’s known is part of a $70-million downtown revitalization project which includes the plaza and Arts Commons. The renovation of the arts venue is expected to come with a price tag of $270 million.

The plaza will close in the coming weeks and will stay closed until 2028.