Devon firefighters climb Edmonton's Stantec Tower in preparation for annual fundraiser

Some of Devon's firefighters climbed all 69 stores of Edmonton's Stantec Tower on Sunday. 

The workout served as practice for the ninth annual Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge, happening this year on June 11 at Calgary's Brookfield Place. 

"Just to see if we can do it with our packs on. And we're supposed to wear our helmet, packs and boots when we do it," explained Lt. Cory Wagg, estimating the gear weighs 30 to 40 pounds. 

"We're breathing heavy, that's for sure. Sweating a lot. It's mainly working on our cardio and our leg strength." 

Devon firefighters climbed Stantec Tower in downtown Edmonton on April 23, 2023, as training for the annual Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge in Calgary in June.

Edmonton-based Stantec says its 251-metre tower in the capital city's core is the tallest highrise in western Canada. It opened in 2018. 

Brookfield Place is Calgary's tallest building at 57 storeys, or 247 metres. 

It was built in 2017. 

The Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge supports community members diagnosed with cancer and donates proceeds to Wellspring Alberta. 

"Any time we work with fire, there's a lot of carcinogens in the air and we're just making sure that we can raise money to fight cancer," Wagg said. 

Devon Fire Rescue is collecting donations for the cause. 

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Brandon Lynch