Security concerns have forced the cancellation of a community walking tour event geared toward citizens learning more and sharing feedback about the citywide rezoning issue.

The event, hosted by the Federation of Calgary Communities (FCC), and done in partnership with the City of Calgary’s Rezoning for Housing Team, was scheduled for the Capitol Hill community for Saturday afternoon.

“We have received information that may impact the safety and security of this event,” read an emailed statement from the City of Calgary.

“We are proceeding with an overabundance of caution to ensure a safe environment for all participants.”

Information provided to LWC indicated that city staff who were scheduled to participate in the event were under potential threat.

Leslie Evans, executive director of the FCC, said she stood behind the City’s decision.

“We want respectful, civil dialogue, where we can have conversations about matters that affect all of us,” Evans said.

“When we can’t do that because people are making it personal and there is a risk to the participants – I will stand in solidarity against hate speech and people that try and disrupt as opposed to engaging in dialogue.”

Earlier this week, at a special meeting of council, city councillors voted against having a plebiscite on the issue of citywide rezoning. That means it will continue on to a public hearing on April 22.

At that point, city councillors will decide on the controversial item, which was a part of the housing strategy approved last year.

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Information gathering event, Evans said

Evans said the purpose of the event, which had at least 30 people signed up to attend, was to walk through the Capitol Hill neighbourhood to identify some of the housing forms that were to come up in the citywide rezoning debate: R-CG and H-GO, to see how they fit into the community – or didn’t.

She said they were looking for feedback from people – what works and what doesn’t – to aid in the conversation about redevelopment in neighbourhoods.

“One of the challenges for communities, for residents, is the fact that R-CG, rezoning would put R-CG everywhere… people are having a hard time understanding the rationale for everywhere,” she said.

“It’s not necessarily easy to convince people to have a dialogue, and walking through sometimes when you have examples, like you can sit in a room and have a conversation, but until you’re in front of something and experiencing it together, we all see things differently.”

Evans said they haven’t had a cancellation like this for past FCC events.

The city’s statement said for information on the proposed Rezoning for Housing and for information on how to share your views with City Council, please visit: www.calgary.ca/rezoningforhousing.