Fire Crews Melt Drake Ice Sculpture After Complaints

Toronto fire crews broke apart and hosed down Drake’s downtown ice sculpture on April 22 after complaints that fans were turning the album stunt into a safety hazard. (toronto.citynews.ca) The 25-foot structure stood in a private parking lot at 81 Bond St., near Dundas Street East, with Drake telling fans on Instagram that the “release date” for his album *Iceman* was hidden inside. Toronto police said officers were first called around 11:05 p.m. on April 20 for crowd control after people climbed the sculpture and refused to come down. (toronto.citynews.ca) Police said people used pickaxes and hammers to break off chunks of ice, threw tools, and set a fire on top of the structure. Fire Chief Jim Jessop said large numbers of people also tried to melt the ice with flammable liquids and open flames, creating what he called an “immediate threat to life.” (toronto.citynews.ca, toronto.citynews.ca) Toronto Fire Services said it was acting under Ontario’s Fire Protection and Prevention Act, and CityNews reported crews used an aerial truck to pour water over the sculpture while police blocked access nearby. A Toronto Fire spokesperson said there were multiple options to address the risk before crews moved to hose it down. (toronto.citynews.ca) The sculpture was part of a real-world album rollout: fans had to wait for the ice to melt, or break into it, to find the date for Drake’s next release. By April 22, Toronto-based streamer Kishka had pulled a vacuum-sealed bag from the ice containing a book, cash, and the album date, and Drake later confirmed *Iceman* will be released on May 15. (toronto.citynews.ca, torontotoday.ca) That turned a marketing installation into a crowd-control problem in the middle of downtown Toronto within about 24 hours. Police said falling ice created a danger both for people on the ground and for those climbing the structure, and reported no injuries. (toronto.citynews.ca) Michael Gingerich, owner of Mawg Design, which worked with Drake’s team on the project, said it was “disappointing” to see the structure come down early. He told CBC Radio that the team did not expect such a large turnout or fans arriving with pickaxes and blowtorches. (cbc.ca) Toronto Fire ended its own operation by Wednesday evening, and a city spokesperson told CBC that further removal would be handled privately by the event organizers. Prime Mobile Wash, an industrial and commercial cleaning company, told CBC it had taken over the job. (cbc.ca) The stunt started with a frozen clue and ended with firefighters melting it down under police watch. By then, the hidden date was already out, and the ice tower had become the bigger story. (toronto.citynews.ca, cbc.ca)