Hundreds take on Calgary Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge
Posted Jun 14, 2026 11:41 am.
The Calgary Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge kicked off Sunday, with hundreds traversing 57 floors and 1,370 steps up Brookfield Place for cancer.
Firefighters from around the province came out, raising funds for Wellspring Alberta, an organization that supports those facing cancer and their loved ones.
The top fundraising team was the Lakeland College EST Battalion 29, who gathered $23,256, and the largest individual donation was from Murray Fenton at $5,904.
Among them were a select few participants who raised at least $5,000 to challenge Calgary Fire Department chief Steve Dongworth.
Those challenging Dongworth included Calgary police officers, Wellspring Alberta CEO Joanne Aime, and Mayor Jeromy Farkas — all wearing full firefighting gear.
Farkas, who spoke with 660 NewsRadio before the event, says he’s been doing the climb for years, including during his time as a city councillor, but he says “it doesn’t get any easier.”
“You just get faster, I would say, but I frame it, though, in comparison to just the cancer challenges, the mental health challenges that families face and especially our first responders.
“So really, the climb is about supporting Albertans facing cancer and the families working beside them.”
The gear participants wear weighs about 40 pounds, which includes helmets and oxygen tanks. Many also climb in support of a spouse, parent, or colleague who has faced cancer.
Farkas, who was training before the climb, says he knows what kind of impact cancer has had on his friends and family, which can create a heavy feeling as many climb up the stairs. But he adds that there is a mix of appreciation and gratitude.
“People are pushing themselves physically, but the focus isn’t on the climb: It’s on the people that they’re climbing for,” he said.
“You see cancer survivors, family members, caregivers, first responders, all in the same place, and it’s a powerful reminder of how many lives are touched by this disease.”
He also says the climb gives him and others a sense of appreciation for the work firefighters do.
“Firefighters do this kind of work while carrying equipment, responding to emergencies, and most of all helping people on what may be the worst day of their lives,” Farkas said.
“It really fills my cup.”
Climbers, including those challenging the chief, began at 9 a.m. Sunday, with the last heats concluding at around 1:30 p.m.
A livestream of the event is available online.
With files from Nadia Moharib
