$50,000 cost to repair smashed glass of Vancouver Olympic Cauldron

Left: Smashed glass of the Vancouver Olympic Cauldron on October 1, 2022; Right: Repaired glass of the Vancouver Olympic Cauldron, as seen on January 14, 2022. (Andrew Lachkovics/Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Repairs to the smashed glass of the Vancouver Olympic Cauldron were performed in mid-November 2022, just in time for Jack Poole Plaza’s hosting of the return of the Vancouver Christmas Market.

The base of the northeast leg of the glass enclosure around the steel structure was smashed by vandals during the early morning hours of October 1, 2022. At the time, after reviewing CCTV video footage of the incident of two suspects destroying the base, the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) determined this was a “planned and deliberate” act. It is also believed one of the suspects pulled out a camera to record their work on destroying the glass.

You might also like:

While the repairs were performed relatively quickly, the cost was hefty given that the one-of-a-kind glass that encloses the Olympic Cauldron was custom-designed and built in the late 2000s.

Cecilia Ho, a spokesperson for the Vancouver Convention Centre, told Daily Hive Urbanized the damage on the portion of the single leg resulted in repairs costing an estimated $50,000.

Of course, there has been a major spike in costly vandalism, especially smashed glass, particularly in and around downtown Vancouver, over the last few years. Sergeant Steve Addison with the VPD says the Olympic Cauldron incident is still under investigation, and no arrests have been made at this time.

Upon observing the repairs, the handful of replaced glass panels closely resemble the design of the original glass installed 13 years ago, but as can be expected there are some very slight differences with a lighter colouring, compared to the more bluish tint of the original glass.

Smashed glass of the northeast leg of the Vancouver Olympic Cauldron on October 1, 2022. (Andrew Lachkovics/Daily Hive)

Repaired glass of the northeast leg of the Vancouver Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

This nationally significant landmark, a lasting reminder of Vancouver’s hosting of the 2010 Winter Olympics, was first revealed to the world at the end of the Olympic Opening Ceremony, following the lighting of the prop Olympic Cauldron inside BC Place Stadium. Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky lit the permanent legacy Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza.

The installation cost $3 million and was funded by VANOC sponsor Terasen Gas, now known as FortisBC.

Following the Games, further enhancements were made to the installation, including the construction of a reflecting pool below the Olympic Cauldron as a measure for further public space improvements, and to deter people from walking underneath the structure. Security cameras and motion sensors to deter vandalism were also added during the reflecting pool’s construction.

There were also plans to include a VANOC-branded map of the route of the cross-country Olympic Torch Relay on the floor of the reflecting pool, but that aspect of the design was never fulfilled.

The Olympic Cauldron is lit up for Canada Day and Remembrance Day each year, and every two years for the Summer and Winter Olympics to commemorate Canadian athletes. For a fee, special events can also apply to the convention centre to have the Olympic Cauldron lit up.

Construction of the permanent Vancouver Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza, late 2009 to February 2010. (Axton)

You might also like: