Calgary 
There is a new open-air gallery in Calgary!
City of Calgary
The city of Calgary wants to remind residents not to vandalize the Peace Bridge and it is resorting to a creative campaign to put the point across – by opening a “Vandalism Gallery” at the Peace Bridge.
The gallery consists of several hanging “works of art” that have been vandalized. The city is hoping that the campaign will reinforce the fact that the Peace Bridge is more than a bridge − it’s a work of art and an iconic landmark.
Calgary says an average of six panels are broken every year and it costs roughly $80,000 a year to remove and replace the broken panels. The cost does not include the cost of the panels themselves as Calgary has been using replacement panels that were provided when the bridge was first built.
City of Calgary
The city is also thinking of using alternate materials other than glass for the panels on the Peace Bridge and has hired a consultant to provide recommendations.
“In recent years, we have seen an increase in vandalism to the Peace Bridge’s glass panels, mainly from people throwing rocks at the bridge from the east riverbed,” says Charmaine Buhler, Bridge Maintenance Manager in a statement. “These incidents tend to increase in the summer months, so we wanted to do something to raise awareness and encourage people to look after this piece of art.”
In addition to daily security patrols, and security cameras, in order to reduce intentional damage to the bridge, the city is taking a new approach to offenders by using the court system to recover costs.
Peace Bridge, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, crosses the Bow River in downtown Calgary and was first opened for use on March 24, 2012.
Anyone who witnesses Peace Bridge vandalism-in-progress is encouraged to call 911.
