Calgarians registered their displeasure over continuing noise concerns in the Beltline on Saturday with a record breaking number of calls to the city’s 311 service.
The spike follows a social media post by Ward 8 Councillor Courtney Walcott on Friday, to use the 311 service to report the impacts to local residents from ongoing protests at Central Memorial Park.
Coun. Walcott told LiveWire Calgary on Thursday last week “I guess this is kind of our first exploration on what the municipal powers are to deal with this and it starts with documentation.”
Over last week, 5 noise complaints were registered to 311 from Monday to Friday, 100 on Saturday, and 10 on Sunday.
On any given week, 75 per cent of reporting communities have under three noise complaints. The median number of noise complaints made per week in the Beltline is 4.
A statement from the City of Calgary to LiveWire Calgary said over the past weekend, the city received a total of 200 noise complaints in relation to the latest protest in the Beltline.
The Beltline has continued to be a hub for noise complaints in Calgary. In the past two years, 18 out of the top 25 communities by noise complaints per week to 311 have been from the Beltline.
A total of 410 noise complaints have been made to 311 from the Beltline from 2021 to the present.
Noise complaints made by all communities in Calgary, from the start of 2020 to the present. ARYN TOOMBS / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Full credit to Coun. Walcott: Mayor Gondek
Mayor Jyoti Gondek told media on Tuesday that the Ward 8 councillor has been on top of the issue since he was elected.
She said Walcott sits on police commission, he's been on contact with administration and talking with her office on how to handle Beltline frustrations.
"He did absolutely the right thing in encouraging businesses and individuals to contact 311," she said.
"We have evidence of complaints now. So some action may be possible."
The mayor wasn't sure whether it would be local enforcement action or potential legal action.
