Hundreds climb Calgary's tallest building for charity
The ninth annual Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge took over Brookfield Place in downtown Calgary on Sunday.
More than 500 firefighters and other participants raced up the 1,370 steps that make up the 57-storey tower, which stands nearly 250 metres tall.
Even with stifling coveralls draped over them and gear on their backs, some competitors were able to race to the top in less than 13 minutes.
Geoff Pyke of Canmore climbed his way to the top in an impressive 11:19, earning him the fastest time of the day.
This is the first time Brookfield Place has hosted the challenge, since its inception in 2015, with participants over the years coming from all over Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Denmark.
It is the highest-elevation stair climb challenge in the country, and after three years of virtual or indoor climbs, this year marks a return to what the event is intended to look like.
The event supports Wellspring Cancer Support Alberta, a registered charity that offers free programs and services to meet the emotional, social and practical needs of people living with cancer.
"We don't have any government funding. There's no core funding for us at Wellspring, so when we do fundraisers like this, it just goes to general operations and programs directly to the frontlines of the people we serve," Natalie Noble, CEO of Wellspring Alberta.
"We offer all sorts of programs for people. They can come and learn how to play the ukulele, go fly fishing, or take an art class, and so, raising awareness for our cause is a really important part of this event."
Even with stifling coveralls draped over them and gear on their backs, some competitors were able to race to the top in less than 13 minutes.
OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD
Noble was one of the participants who took on the climb for the first time.
After tackling the nearly 1,400 stairs, she said she felt exhausted but motivated to push through.
"The gear is extremely hot. I had the boots on, the coveralls, the helmet, and then being in that stairwell, there was not a lot of airflow, so it was way harder than I expected," she said.
"I knew that the inspiration that I would be able to draw would be from the people in my life who have either died from cancer or who currently have cancer and all of the people using Wellspring services."
In Alberta, there are 20 presumptive cancers that are recognized as occupational hazards of a firefighter's job.
It's something that fire departments in the province take seriously.
"What we've found more recently is there's a range of products called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. (PFAS) that actually exists within the firefighting gear," said Steve Dongworth, Calgary Fire Chief.
"The gear is like a sandwich. You have an outer layer, you have an inner lining, and in between that, you have a moisture barrier. What we have found is that the moisture barrier contains PFAS. We need to learn more about that, and we need to know more about PFAS."
Dongworth says, unfortunately, there is currently no substitute for the material that would meet the rigorous safety guidelines and keep fire crews safe while fighting structure fires.
"For the time being, that means we are not using regular gear for things like stair climbs or for any types of calls where we don't need to,"
"There is no replacement currently that meets standards, so the industry is responding and developing new products, which will all have to be tested and certified, so this could take a while. But, for the time being, we're minimizing the risk of cancer by asking people to limit wearing their duty gear."
Since 2015, the event has raised more than $2 million. More than $315,000 has been raised this year, and donations can be made until June 30th.
To donate, you can visit the Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge website.
Wellspring Alberta will also gift a portion of the money raised to the Firefighters Assistance Charitable Society.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.