What to know
- Toronto Fire crews are working to melt Drake’s ice installation at 81 Bond Street using warm water after safety concerns emerged.
- Large crowds gathered, with some people using flammable liquids and open flames to break the ice, creating serious risks.
- The installation, placed Sunday, became a fan attraction as people tried to uncover a hidden ICEMAN album release date.
- Firefighters are monitoring the site and water drainage, while the timeline for full removal remains unclear.
The public parking next to Bond Place Hotel will soon be restored to its original purpose as Toronto Fire crews work to melt Drake’s ice blocks occupying it.
Fans of the artist began posting firefighters dowsing the ice structure with water late Tuesday, as they attempted to melt it down.
In an email to Now Toronto on Wednesday, Toronto Fire confirmed they were using warm water to melt the ice following some safety complaints.
“Earlier this evening, Toronto Fire Services was alerted to dangerous and unsafe activities taking place at 81 Bond Street pertaining to the large ice installation,” Toronto Fire stated in an earlier media release. “Large numbers of individuals have gathered to attempt to melt the ice using flammable liquids, and open flames in an uncontrolled environment which results in an immediate threat to life.”
The crews’ main goal was to shrink the ice installation, to avoid further safety concerns.
Toronto Fire added they have firefighters on site monitoring water drainage as the ice continues to melt, and the crews’ warm water contributes to additional flooding.
Read More
- Drake’s ice cube lives on: Fans troll Kendrick Lamar’s Instagram with ice cube emojis
- A streamer has reportedly found Drake’s ‘ICEMAN’ release date as Toronto fans go crazy over giant ice block
- ‘Drake’s always crazy, unpredictable,’ Toronto residents react to giant ice block downtown amid ‘Iceman’ buzz
- ‘Something is afoot,’ Is Iceman dropping soon? Drake’s latest stunt in Toronto has fans convinced
Concerns for safety
Toronto Fire’s involvement comes two days after the ice was placed, having been installed since Sunday night, and opened to the public on Monday.
On Tuesday, Toronto-based streamer Kishka was able to pull out a blue bag from the top of the ice, which contained Drake’s released date for his upcoming album ICEMAN.
Prior to this, videos of multiple fire and ice chipping videos have surfaced online as fans attempted to find the release date that Drake originally confirmed was hidden somewhere inside.
These methods of destruction caused some concern on social media.
“People were lighting fires on it and using pickaxes on it – it was a legit safety concern,” one Reddit user said.
Another Reddit user criticized Drake’s ice sculpture as a promotion.
“It’s a half baked publicity stunt causing actual safety concerns,” they said.
“If you went to the ice cube you’d see a bunch of people kicking it,” one Reddit user shared. “Straight up this isn’t about being miserable and letting people have fun, that thing was a genuine safety concern for the stupid people in this city.”
Toronto Fire did not say when they will be done hosing down the ice structure.
