For the past two years, a Crescent Heights resident has carefully constructed multiple benches for passersby to enjoy the vista, only to see them removed by the city.

One resident, who lives 100 metres from the intersection of 2 Avenue and 1 Street NE, has built four benches over the past two years, and each has been removed. The latest one was built and removed within three days.

Adam said that after moving into the neighbourhood three years ago, he noticed “countless” people pulling up to the lookout spot for a view, with their vehicles idling, decided to take matters into his own hands.

LWC has agreed to withhold Adam’s last name.

“I’ve seen people just normally pull up to that spot, sit in their vehicles, kind of pump their music and let their vehicles idle,” Adam said.

“But when the bench is there, they’re getting out there enjoying the environment. They’re turning their vehicles off. I think it kind of enhances people’s experience, whether you’re a visitor or a resident.”

The first bench he built back in June 2023 stayed up for just over a year. Surveillance footage he collected from a neighbour showed two city trucks with four workers dismantling that project.

Shortly after, he built a low-profile bench from fence boards from a nearby demolition, and it was taken down after 17 days.  A third, built last fall, lasted 250 days. Finally, one built on June 16, 2025, was taken down after three days.

LWC reached out to the City of Calgary for a response to this story. They said there were no field staff available to speak on the issue until Monday.

On Tuesday, the City of Calgary responded, acknowledging the removal of a bench “along a sharp curve at the intersection of 2 St NE and 1 Ave NE, overlooking a steep drop-off.”

“While we appreciate the resident’s intention to create a place to pause and enjoy the view, the bench was affixed to a guardrail at a potentially hazardous location and was not installed through any formal review or permitting process,” they wrote in an email response.

“Public safety must remain our top priority. Structures like benches, when installed without oversight or engineering review, can pose serious risks—particularly when located along roadways or steep embankments. In this case, even the individual who installed the bench acknowledged that it should not exist at this location.”

They encourage residents with ideas for public space improvements to connect with them through the appropriate channels.

Disconnection from the community: Coun. Terry Wong

Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong said that he’s only just been made aware of the bench situation, so he couldn’t comment directly about the issue.

He did say, however, that it shows a lack of consultation with area residents or the bench builder, Adam. (Adam said he left his number on signs in the area if the City wanted to contact him.)

“My official statement is it’s one of those things where the city lacks consultation in everything it does, right?” Wong said.

“Certainly (the city) is not reaching out to collaborate with the property owners accordingly, or the guy who built the bench.”

Adam said that he understands the potential liability issues with a citizen-built bench on city property.

He said he takes the time to ensure the benches are sturdy, free of nails or splinters and are generally safe. He added, however, to get something done in the area through proper city channels means at least a year of bureaucracy on everything from determining the right site, to getting things like engineer-stamped plans.

“I think the city is very risk-averse, and in many cases, that’s great. But, in a lot of cases, it ends up just shutting down the potential for these more kind of grassroots guerilla projects,” he said.

“I just think it’s easier for me to just, on a Saturday, build a bench there and get it up, rather than spend probably a full year going through like the permitting and approvals process to get something up there.”

Coun. Wong said that the opportunity isn’t lost to get something put up in that spot, and he’s willing to work with the community to get something done.

In the meantime, Wong said the City of Calgary has to change its approach to working with citizens.

“Get out there, talk to people first before you do anything, and involve them with whatever you do,” he said.

“There’s a problem, a cultural problem within the city.”