Calgarians removing named bricks ahead of Olympic Plaza redevelopment
The beloved pathway at Olympic Plaza is becoming sparser as people remove bricks bearing their names.
In photos circulating online, it appears that people in Calgary are coming to the iconic walkway to carve out their bricks, which are linked to the city’s Olympic legacy.
The bricks feature personalized inscriptions that were purchased over 35 years ago to support the development of Olympic Plaza for the 1988 Olympic Winter Games.
View this post on Instagram
Olympic Plaza is closing for redevelopment at the end of the year until 2028. It is being revamped as part of a broader downtown revitalization project, with construction being managed by the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC).
The bricks at the plaza hold great sentimental value to people throughout the city, but sadly, they will not be preserved during the redevelopment.
“Due to their age and condition, individual excavation of the 33,000 bricks is not feasible and is unlikely to be successful without causing significant damage to the removed bricks and those around them, and would also come at significant cost and schedule impacts to the project,” the CMLC shared in a news release.
In a statement to Daily Hive, the CMLC said that while it recognizes the pathway’s sentimental value, removing the bricks could pose safety risks.
“Although we recognize the historical and sentimental value that Calgarians hold towards the bricks in Olympic Plaza, the removal of bricks or any infrastructure within a park is strictly prohibited as part of the Parks and Pathways Bylaw,” the CMLC said.
“As many of the bricks are found on walking surfaces, removing them would pose a public safety risk and could result in areas of the park being closed to the public.”
The City of Calgary shared that those who remove a brick could face fines of up to $400 under the city’s park bylaws.
The City has invited people to commemorate the bricks by visiting Olympic Plaza and snapping a photo with their bricks before the area closes at the end of December.
Additionally, Calgarians will be able to access a digital scan of the plaza in the upcoming months.