Standing next to one of nearly 33,000 engraved bricks covering the surface of Calgary’s Olympic Plaza, Valerie Salkeld casts her eyes downward as she reminisces about memories from more than 30 years ago.
“It was January and so it was a little chilly, but they had a skating rink here in the winters. I worked downtown, [my husband] met me afterward and he brought me to Olympic Plaza,” said the Calgarian.
“He gave me an envelope … and the envelope said look down and I looked down and there was the little ring box right beside the brick and he was on his knee and he proposed to me.”
Etched on that brick was a marriage proposal, albeit spelt incorrectly: ‘Will you mary me Val.’
Valerie’s husband, Laird, bought the couple that brick in 1988, but she was unaware of it until two years later when she ultimately got engaged.
As the downtown Calgary cultural hub gets set for a major makeover, an iconic part of the plaza won’t be included.
That brick, along with the tens of thousands of others that have become synonymous with Calgary’s 1988 Olympic Games, were sold as part of a fundraising campaign.
People could buy them at the time for $19.88 and were encouraged to engrave names or memories on them.
Decades later, the commemorative bricks face demolition as the city moves ahead with redevelopment plans for the area. The plaza is set for closure at the end of 2024.
Bricks unsalvageable
The downtown Calgary park will be shut until 2028 as a major transformation project of both Olympic Plaza and neighbouring Arts Commons, which begins in early 2025.
The etched bricks are not included in the redesign plans, according to the Calgary Land Municipal Corporation (CMLC), which is spearheading the project.
In a statement, the organization told CBC News that while they understand and recognize the significance and sentimental value of the bricks, a number of factors makes preserving them nearly impossible.
“The project team has examined the possibility of removing and returning the bricks to purchasers, but 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,” reads a statement from the CMLC.
“Due to their age and condition, the bricks will not be re-purposed and integrated in the revitalized plaza.”
The organization said that restoring the bricks will also “come at significant cost” and impact the project’s construction schedule.
“We were hoping that they would find a solution to be able to suit everyone because they’re really special to people,” Salkeld said.
Despite that disappointment, Salkeld said she understands the situation.
“As the wear and tear on the plaza happened over the years, I understand them needing to to do something new and fresh.”
A last-ditch effort to save the bricks
Throughout September, CMLC held a number of events where people had the opportunity to come down and visit the bricks and the surrounding plaza.
The organization brought in a professional photographer and name-rubbing equipment so those with a brick could get their engraving imprinted on a piece of paper.
That, however, seemingly wasn’t enough.
Several threads have surfaced on social media sites where people are discussing how to remove their bricks for themselves or whether it would be too dangerous due to the fragility of the bricks.
Gaps where bricks were laid are also evident along the park’s surface.
“There’s just so many stories here,” Salkeld said. “I understand them wanting them. I want mine.”
According to CMLC, the bricks that line Olympic Plaza’s surface are considered public property. Under a bylaw, removing them is prohibited and carries a fine of between $250 and $400.
Calgary-Midnapore MP Stephanie Kusie still hopes the bricks can be saved.
She launched a petition on Oct. 22 in a bid to recognize, preserve and honour the history of the infrastructure, and what it represents in some form in the redesign.
“In destroying the bricks, it’s not recognizing what is the significance of the most historical event that took place in Calgary, the 1988 Olympics,” Kusie said.
“I believe that the Calgarians who invested in a brick in the Plaza really thought that they were going to be a part of Calgary history for some time, certainly a time beyond 40 years.”
While Kusie acknowledges the petition itself cannot legally force CMLC to take any action, she hopes it will at least give the organization something to think about.
The design of Olympic Plaza’s transformation is expected to be revealed early next year.