Calgary Tower levels $7M lawsuit against elevator maintenance and repair company

Calgary Tower at centre of lawsuit Owners of the Calgary Tower are suing the elevator maintenance and repair company. Brenna Rose reports.

Calgary — The owners of Calgary's most well-known monument have filed a $7 million lawsuit in connection with an issue with its elevators that ended up closing the attraction for months.

The Calgary Tower has named ThyssenKrupp Elevator Canada Ltd., the company it hired to maintain and repair its elevators, after an incident that occurred about 10 months ago.

Last July, eight passengers were inside one of the tower's elevator cars when two of the six cables hauling it broke, resulting in the car plunging several stories.

Rescue crews managed to secure the car and lower it safely to the ground level, allowing the passengers to get off.

The tower was shut down for a number of months, reopening in Nov. 2019.

Just three months later, another incident resulted in the elevator being shut down again.

Both Palliser Square Properties Ltd. and Aspen Properties, owners of the landmark, filed a lawsuit on April 29, seeking $7 million in damages from ThyssenKrupp, claiming the company did not comply with provincial regulations regarding elevators.

It also alleges poor maintenance led to both incidents.

The company has held a maintenance contract since March 2011.

Meanwhile, the Calgary Tower itself is facing its own class-action lawsuit, filed by one of the passengers who was trapped in the original incident.

None of the allegations have been tested in court and ThyssenKrupp has not yet filed a statement of defence.

The company has not responded to CTV News' requests for comment.

(With files from Brenna Rose)