What to know
- Toronto Fire Services removed the ice installation after fans climbed and attempted to melt it or break it open, raising safety concerns.
- Chow said the decision prioritized public safety.
- Despite the removal, the mayor echoed citywide excitement for Drake’s ICEMAN, expected to drop May 15.
Mayor Olivia Chow said that she supports Toronto Fire Services’s decision to take down Drake’s ICEMAN sculpture over safety concerns, but admitted she is also excited for the album to drop.
The mayor made the remarks on Wednesday, as fire crews work to melt the rapper’s installation at 81 Bond St. using warm water.
Read More
According to her, the decision was made by Toronto Fire Services’s chief Jim Jessop due to safety concerns.
Excited fans have been giving their all since the unveiling of the installation to reveal ICEMAN’s release date, with some climbing the structure, using pickaxes to break the ice, and even attempting to melt it with inflammable liquids and flamethrowers.
“I can understand why fans are excited. They want to go and find out what is that date because that’s what he said, it’s in there…I see them doing all kinds of things,” Chow said.
“It is our responsibility to make sure people are safe, and I want to thank the police and their fire department for making sure people are safe. And well, they got what they were looking for. We now know the date.”
Concerns aside, the mayor said she is also excited about the album dropping this summer.
“Drake is a big supporter of our city and there’s so much excitement across our city towards this new Drake album, the ICEMAN. Yeah, ICEMAN, right?! I’m excited too! It’s going to be a great summer,” she added.
ICEMAN is expected to drop on May 15, after a local Twitch streamer found a blue bag within the ice structure that allegedly had cash and the release date in it.
