The vandalism to the 70 panels happened around 4am on Sunday 24 July.
Witnesses reported that a man used a hammer, rebar and bricks to break the glass as he walked from one side of the bridge to the other, pushing a trolley along as he went.
On Wednesday, police said 58-year-old Brian Douglas Jensen had been charged with the most recent vandalism, as well as a separate incident on June 18 where, around 1:10 a.m., a window on the same bridge was shattered.
Jensen is charged with two counts of malicious mischief to property over $5,000, disturbing the peace, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, breaching a suspended sentence order and breaching a law for unlawfully dumping litter in a park.
He is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, August 5, 2022.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Calgary police non-emergency line at 403-266-1234 or submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
PEACE BRIDGE VANDALISM COSTS CALGARY#
Damage to the glass cladding on Calgary’s iconic Peace Bridge on Sunday, July 24, 2022. The bridge, built a decade ago in 2012, has been vandalized so often that city officials recently launched a new campaign aimed at reducing intentional damage in the structure.
According to city officials, an average of six panels break each year, and it costs about $80,000 a year to remove and replace the broken panels. This does not include the cost of the panels themselves, as the city uses replacement panels provided when the bridge was first built.
Recently, the city is looking into the possibility of using alternative materials other than glass for windows.
“We know that the Peace Bridge is an iconic artistic structure in our city and we know that Calgarians are upset by the vandalism and damage caused to something that is meant for all to enjoy,” said the Mandatory Officer. Liana Deegan said Monday.
Anyone who sees vandalism on the Peace Bridge in progress is asked to call 911.
