Councillors will debate an urgent notice of motion Tuesday, aimed at softening the noise exemption permit rules the city said were first shared with summer music festivals five months ago.
The Notice of Motion from Ward 1 Coun. Kim Tyers follows up comments she made last week around her concerns that City of Calgary administration moved ahead with changes to the permits without proper consultation.
It comes at a time when provincial officials are also not only sniping at city hall about the Stampede-time tunes, but they’re taking political action to deal with some of the community concerns around the festivals. Much of it has been done via social media and through media release.
The Notice of Motion states that administrative adjustments to the Noise Exemption Permits have created “operational challenges for festival organizers and raised concerns from industry partners regarding feasibility and reputational impact.”
The rule changes first provided to festivals in February, stated that weeknight concerts end at midnight, with cool-down music ending by 12:30 a.m. Weekend concert times haven’t been changed.
Noise and bass levels have been reduced before midnight from 75 dBA (noise) / 85 dBC (bass) to 70 dBA / 80 dBC, and after midnight (weekends) from 65 dBA / 85 dBC to 60 dBA / 80 dBC.
Tyers’ motion is asking for weeknight concerts to conclude by 1 a.m., with cool-down music until 1:30 a.m. It also asks for decibel level drops of 2.5 decibels in both dBA and dBC rather than the stated drop of 5.
It also calls for measures to deal with social disorder in and around festival sites, especially around peak exit periods. She also wants added temporary sanitation infrastructure, including portable washrooms and urinals.
Finally, it calls for further engagement between a variety of stakeholders to discuss future Noise Exemption Permits.
While Cowboys Music Festival has expressed their displeasure, other festivals appear to be working within the rule changes.
In a memo sent out to residents near the Badlands Music Festival tent, which operates a tent on 9 Avenue and 7 Street SW, festival organizers acknowledged the operating hours of 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.
“Our production team will be monitoring sound levels at all times to ensure compliance with the Community Standards Bylaw, and we have taken numerous steps with speaker technology, and environmental design to limit the impact of the stage sound to the surrounding community,” the memo read.
Political squabbles ratchet up over Cowboys
The conflict that erupted last week drew the attention of both federal and provincial Conservative politicians over the weekend, with Premier Danielle Smith saying that the fun police had struck.
On Monday, Premier Smith posted a letter to the social media platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) that was sent to Calgary city council and Mayor Jeromy Farkas.
“While we appreciate the City’s efforts to address concerns raised by nearby residents, we are concerned by both the timing of these changes and their potential consequences for workers, businesses, public safety and Calgary’s reputation as a world-class event destination,” the letter read.
The letter goes on to say that the government is concerned that while stakeholders were aware changes were being “contemplated” earlier this year, the bylaw restrictions weren’t communicated until “weeks before the Stampede.”
Calgary’s Chief Bylaw Officer Ryan Pleckaitis told LWC last week that all festival proprietors were told of the changes in February, and then it was addressed again in May. He said the changes were made in response to feedback from the community about noise.
“We also had complaints of social disorder, public urination, excessive intoxication throughout the week. So, those are some of the factors that went into our decision this year,” he said.
“We made the decision that we needed to do something this year, and so what we did is we looked at those impacts, and we reduced the noise or the concerts to midnight this year, and allowing outdoor speaker use it as a cool-down period to allow for a safe and orderly exit of patrons.”
The City of Calgary said that 225 bylaw complaints were made with last year’s music festivals, with 125 of them due to Cowboys, who had moved their festival to the west side of Calgary’s downtown.
Policing help coming during Calgary Stampede
To that end, the Government of Alberta announced a new memorandum of understanding with the Calgary Police Service to help police the Calgary Stampede with Alberta Sheriffs.
“This MOU will establish a joint team of Alberta Sheriffs and Calgary Police officers to patrol and monitor Stampede tents, such as Cowboys, to ensure patrons are being safe, responsible and respectful both inside and outside the venues,” read the statement from Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, Mike Ellis.
“As Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas stated, several hundreds of people brought complaints to city hall last year such as property damage, disorder, and excessive intoxication spilling into nearby neighborhoods.[sic]
“This kind of nonsense is unacceptable. That’s why we’re expanding our law enforcement presence to protect nearby residents and ensure all Calgarians and visitors have an enjoyable Stampede experience.”
Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas welcomed the partnership between the CPS and Alberta Sheriffs for the Stampede.
“We have heard clear concerns about significant disruption around the Cowboys tent and other off-site outdoor music events downtown,” he posted to X.
“This coordinated presence will help protect residents, support businesses, and ensure visitors enjoy Stampede safely and responsibly.”
The mayor responded to several posts about the bylaw over the Father’s Day weekend. Posts were made by MP Michelle Rempel Garner and Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre.
Rempel Garner said that Calgary changed the rules days before the Stampede. Mayor Farkas took exception to her statement, saying her assertion was false.
There was also a shot at the City of Calgary’s bylaw rules in an Alberta Government public statement around its reversal of alcohol price increases implemented by Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis.
“Alberta’s government is proud to support our hospitality and liquor industry as they create jobs, attract visitors and deliver memorable experiences for Albertans and tourists alike,” read the statement from Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, Dale Nally.
“I would encourage the City of Calgary to take the same approach by working with industry and local businesses to find solutions that support jobs, tourism and the Stampede music scene, including repealing its misguided noise bylaw.”
The notice of motion will be discussed at Tuesday’s public hearing meeting of Calgary city council.
