Hundreds of Calgarians spent the lunch hour yesterday gazing skyward after a glass window broke on the 33rd storey of a downtown building, creating afternoon havoc.
Several blocks between 7th and 8th avenues were shut down near the 200 block over concerns the broken glass created a public hazard, according to fire department spokesperson Brian McAsey.
“We wanted to make sure we made it as safe as we could, and especially with the wind. Things might not just fall vertically, but the wind could carry it, so we wanted to be safe,” he said.
Only pieces of the pane were believed to have fallen but crews worked quickly to ensure it was deemed safe. The only delay came with replacing the window.
Employees of Scotiabank Place filed back to their offices and found they couldn’t get in.
“I don’t even know what is happening because we just got back from lunch. I guess we get the afternoon off,” Derek Munro said.
Nobody was injured, but traffic was snarled in the core for several hours due to the closure.
