Calgary City Communities are seeking public input on any concerns when it comes to major outdoor events in their neighborhoods.
People party every day for 10 days in the Calgary Stampede and surrounding areas. However, a good time for the carouseling crowd isn’t always so much fun for the people who live in the area.
“For 10 days they are being bombarded with music and loud noises until the early morning hours,” said Peter Oliver, president of the Beltline Neighborhood Association. “Basically, their homes and their communities became free for all. It’s like a party and puke zone for the benefit of some bar owners.”
Oliver said the organization was flooded this year with emails from residents who were fed up with the uproar coming from the beer tents.
“We’ve heard for the first time that residents are really being overlooked and suffering under existing bylaws that allow this free-for-all with bars,” Oliver said.
In May, many councilors including Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Cara, Ward 7 Count. Terry Wong and Ward 8 Count. Courtney Walcott, Sponsored A speed notification To address those kinds of concerns.
The city now wants to hear from people who live in communities where major outdoor gatherings take place—and from all Calgarians who attend events.
“What happens during daylight hours isn’t so much — people take it for granted. It’s after 10 p.m.,” Wong said.
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“We want to make sure that Calgary is a destination and a great place to visit. That it is vibrant.
“Having said that, we have to balance the cost of doing so and the people who enjoy it, as well as the safety and security of the people who live around the area.”
One neighborhood that has seen improvement is the area southeast of Ramsay where residents have long raised concerns about traffic, noise, public urination and garbage on Scotsman Hill.
The city now has port-a-potties installed during peak times along with more garbage containers. The community association hopes that the consultation will lead to more consistent support and enforcement for the neighborhood.
“We’re hoping it’s details like this that will be picked up in future policy planning as well to make sure it’s practiced every year,” said Erin Joslin of the Ramsay Community Association.
Oliver points to the Calgary Folk Music Festival, a well-regulated event overseen by the city at a designated location. He’s hoping the city can help make the getaway beer tent experience more of a chore.
“It really shows that in this kind of policy vacuum, you have allowed for situations that are harmful to the community and, I think, to counter the goals of the city to get more people to live in the city. To encourage,” Oliver said.
“We hope this is a clear signal to the city that it is time to properly regulate these temporary beer tents and the way they operate and where they can be operated.”
The city is taking feedback online, A report to the city council is expected in September 2022.
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