A $660-million renovation of Calgary's Olympic Plaza will now attempt to return some personalized bricks to their owners, after an 11th-hour reversal. Thousands of bricks were sold as a fundraiser ahead of the 1988 Olympics, and many are now damaged and slated for destruction. Hundreds of people attended events to take photos with or make rubbings of their bricks before construction begins.
CALGARY — Valerie Salkeld remembers her then-boyfriend picking her up after work one cold day in January 1990 and heading over to Olympic Plaza in downtown Calgary to watch people skating.“Look down” was written on the paper inside.
Valerie Salkeld says she was disappointed when she heard this summer that the original brick was one of some 33,000 slated for destruction as the aging plaza and adjacent performing arts complex undergo a $660-million overhaul. Three hundred people attended events where they could be photographed with their bricks or take rubbings of them. Others pried out bricks themselves, with gaps visible in the plaza since refilled with mismatched replacements or asphalt.
Thom Mahler, the city’s director of downtown strategy, said he’s optimistic, but said salvaging bricks intact is no easy feat.They were also set in mortar, which gets harder over time while the bricks get weaker. Using a saw with a masonry blade seems to work best, and the city is also looking at trying to cut out two at once if they’re side-by-side, Mahler said.
Last week, a smattering of bricks could be seen outlined in bright yellow crayon and a city spokesperson said it was part of the retrieval work. McMahon was aghast when he heard the bricks would be discarded. He wasn’t impressed by the salvaging plans, calling the efforts “tight-fisted,” “ungenerous” and “half-hearted.”“You gotta be lucky to hear about it. You gotta be fortunate enough to be around. And boy goodness, you better be here one of those two days when you can go and collect your brick."
Calgary Olympic Plaza Renovation Personalized Bricks 1988 Olympics
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