Canadian actor and comedian Andrew Phung wants the City of Calgary to host a goodbye party for the Village Square Leisure Centre’s iconic Thunder Run slide before it’s torn down. Village Square will close for service cycle upgrades on Aug. 31, and when it does, the slide will be replaced. The winding blue slide is visible outside of Village Square, spiraling through a tall blue tower that extends several storeys up from the main building. The City of Calgary says the Thunder Run has created memories for generations of Calgarians since it was added in 1994 – but it’s reached the end of its life cycle. The replacement slide will be in the same general location. In a video posted to social media, Phung – known for his role as Arnold “Kimchee” Han on sitcom Kim’s Convenience – pushed Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas and Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot to host a proper sendoff. Phung was born and raised in the city’s northeast and says the Thunder Run is one of the “last remaining icons” of the area. “This is a slide that has raised generations of northeast Calgary kids. It deserves all the accolades; it deserves all the moments of silence.” In the video, Phung suggests a celebration of life, a memorial or one final ‘teen night’ for all the adults that grew up on this slide. “Let us millennials crack our knees and take on those never-ending steps one more time so we can ride this slide into the sunset,” Phung said. “Don’t worry, Jeromy Farkas, all of us who grew up on this slide are in our 30s and 40s, so we’re not staying up late. “We’ll be in bed by 11 p.m. – or we will have moved on to the Boston Pizza on Memorial Drive.” Phung ends the video with a final plea. “Can we give this blue beauty a proper goodbye – and get the Village Square Leisure Centre bumping one last time?” On Instagram, Farkas responded to the post with a cryptic, “Please stand by.”
