CALGARY - You couldn't pay most people to stand on a ledge 180 metres above the ground to clean the outside of the Calgary Tower's windows, but Allan Zemp said he'd have done it for free. If not for his age, the 70-year-old said he wouldn't have retired 1 1/2 years ago from his job cleaning Cowtown's iconic symbol since it opened in 1968. "I'd have done it for nothing," Allan said yesterday about the job he held for 38 years. "I just loved to do it." Today, Allan returns to the top of the tower, which opened June 30, 1968, to celebrate its 40th anniversary. He said it seems like only yesterday he first climbed into the wobbling swing stage to begin his lifelong passion of polishing the exterior of the glass windows. Allan had been running ABC Window Cleaners for eight years when he was offered the contract to keep the Calgary Tower sparkling. He said he'd long overcome any fear of heights. "You hadn't better be afraid of heights if you're going to go up there and do that," said Allan. "Even on the calmest day, it's windy." Allan's brother, Chuck Zemp, often worked alongside him and has taken over the business of keeping the tower clean. Chuck, 64, is now teaching the ropes to his 34-year-old son, Grant. The outside of the windows, including the glass floor, are polished six times a year and it takes a two-man team about 12 hours. Chuck recalls being terrified the first time he swung above the city at a dizzying height, despite wearing a safety harness. "The machine rattles and shakes," he said. "Your hands are awfully tired when you get down because you've been squeezing the hell out of everything holding on." Humorously, he added: "If you screw up, you've only got 4 1/2 seconds before you're on the ground anyway." Allan will never forget a terrifying accident that happened while cleaning the observation deck windows about five years ago. He pushed the button that lowers the swing stage and it began to drop uncontrollably - and the emergency stop button wouldn't work. "It was going as fast as it could possibly go," said Allan. After dropping about nine metres, the swing stage crashed onto an area below the engineering room. The force of the impact cracked one of the observation windows, which had to be replaced. But it didn't diminish his love of the lofty career. "I miss the whole job," said Allan.
Monday, 30 June 2008
Tower of Power for Window Washer
CALGARY - You couldn't pay most people to stand on a ledge 180 metres above the ground to clean the outside of the Calgary Tower's windows, but Allan Zemp said he'd have done it for free. If not for his age, the 70-year-old said he wouldn't have retired 1 1/2 years ago from his job cleaning Cowtown's iconic symbol since it opened in 1968. "I'd have done it for nothing," Allan said yesterday about the job he held for 38 years. "I just loved to do it." Today, Allan returns to the top of the tower, which opened June 30, 1968, to celebrate its 40th anniversary. He said it seems like only yesterday he first climbed into the wobbling swing stage to begin his lifelong passion of polishing the exterior of the glass windows. Allan had been running ABC Window Cleaners for eight years when he was offered the contract to keep the Calgary Tower sparkling. He said he'd long overcome any fear of heights. "You hadn't better be afraid of heights if you're going to go up there and do that," said Allan. "Even on the calmest day, it's windy." Allan's brother, Chuck Zemp, often worked alongside him and has taken over the business of keeping the tower clean. Chuck, 64, is now teaching the ropes to his 34-year-old son, Grant. The outside of the windows, including the glass floor, are polished six times a year and it takes a two-man team about 12 hours. Chuck recalls being terrified the first time he swung above the city at a dizzying height, despite wearing a safety harness. "The machine rattles and shakes," he said. "Your hands are awfully tired when you get down because you've been squeezing the hell out of everything holding on." Humorously, he added: "If you screw up, you've only got 4 1/2 seconds before you're on the ground anyway." Allan will never forget a terrifying accident that happened while cleaning the observation deck windows about five years ago. He pushed the button that lowers the swing stage and it began to drop uncontrollably - and the emergency stop button wouldn't work. "It was going as fast as it could possibly go," said Allan. After dropping about nine metres, the swing stage crashed onto an area below the engineering room. The force of the impact cracked one of the observation windows, which had to be replaced. But it didn't diminish his love of the lofty career. "I miss the whole job," said Allan.
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