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Crowds attend Family Day at the Calgary Stampede, July 2023.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
After a week of accusations and harsh words between the Alberta government, the City of Calgary and local concert organizers, Mayor Jeromy Farkas appears to have emerged victorious in the fight over new noise bylaws that will be in place during this year’s Calgary Stampede.
While Premier Danielle Smith may still decide to intervene in the city’s decision, her government has shown signs that it is moving away from the conflict with City Hall.
The heated debate over the City of Calgary’s decision several months ago to cut noise limits and the operating hours of downtown concert tents has become an unexpected and lengthy distraction from the issues that have roiled Alberta politics for months, namely the upcoming vote on whether the province will work toward a binding referendum on secession.
The row over decibel levels came to a head earlier in the week after Ms. Smith wrote in a letter to city councilors on Monday that her government would consider intervening if the city did not change course. In a video posted on social media the next day, Mayor Jeromy Farkas snapped at critics including Ms Smith and federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who accused the city of throwing cold water on the stampede culture.
The Stampede attracts approximately 1.5 million visitors to the city for its annual rodeo and festival, which runs from July 3 to 12.
“Some operators cannot treat neighbors like trash and damage the reputation of an event that belongs to all of us,” Mr. Farkas said in the video, which included several expletives.
That Tuesday, Calgary city council voted to stick with the new festival noise rules, making only a minor amendment that would allow temporary downtown venues to play quieter, “cooling-off” music from Sunday to Thursday. evenings for an hour after concerts instead of the city’s proposed half-hour period.
The city’s new rules come in response to years of downtown residents’ dissatisfaction with noise generated by outdoor areas near Stampede Stadium. In previous years, private tents were allowed to play music until 1:30 a.m. throughout the festival, with a quieter “cooling down” period until 2 a.m. The city’s new rules, first introduced in February, moved the curfew to midnight from Sunday to Thursday, with a half-hour break until 12:30 a.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, music can still be played until 1:30 am.
Shortly after the city council voted (nine in favor and six against) on Tuesday, Mr Farkas declared victory in another social media post, writing: “WE DID IT!”
Paul Vickers, CEO of Penny Lane Entertainment Group, which produces the Cowboys Music Festival, started another row last week by publishing his frustrations in the Calgary Herald. He thanked the mayor’s office for the changes.
Ms Smith’s chief of staff Rob Anderson wrote on social media that the Prime Minister was “happy with the advice and festivalgoers are working to resolve the issues”.
But the drama continued.
On Wednesday, Country Thunder Alberta, a three-day music festival scheduled for this weekend, said it was canceling the event due to “active construction, loss of critical infrastructure and noise control laws.”
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Mr. Farkas responded with another social media video, saying concert organizers were “clearly trying to take advantage of the noise and misinformation around it,” arguing that the two driving factors were a forecast for a rainy weekend in Calgary and the cancellation of the festival headliner, not noise legislation.
Jerry Krochak, director of Country Thunder Alberta, supported his festival’s position in an op-ed in the Calgary Herald, adding that Mr. Farkas’ comments “only add insult to injury.”
Sam Blackett, a spokesman for Ms. Smith, wrote in a statement that Country Thunder’s cancellation “strengthens our view” that the city and stakeholders must find a solution that works for businesses and surrounding communities.
Mr Blackett did not respond to a question about whether the premier was considering intervening by June 30, the date she previously set as the deadline to assess “whether there is a provincial role” in addressing the problems.
Lisa Young, a political science professor at the University of Calgary, said Mr. Farkas’ “slick” use of social media and clear communication throughout the week likely won him points among Calgarians. Mr Farkas has enjoyed good ratings since being elected mayor last October.
Meanwhile, Professor Young said fighting the charter changes had been an awkward situation for Ms Smith given her government’s emphasis on maintaining law and order.
Professor Young added that fighting over a local issue is an example of how niche issues, including noise by-laws, can escalate into controversial culture war issues.
“There’s this dimension of left and right that reminds us that on a whole range of issues, we’re living in a very polarized political moment where something as mundane as a noise ordinance is being wrapped up in this kind of language,” she said.