It’s not over, but Round One of last weekend’s intergovernmental noise by-law fracas – which channelling the late Dr. Seuss, we might call a bitter Twitter window-rattle battle – goes to Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas.
To reprise, for still murky reasons, a posse of federal and provincial Conservative politicians followed by a swarm of online con-bots decided to insert themselves into a fairly typical municipal policy disagreement over Calgary’s revised noise bylaw.
The hysteria mostly took place on the X, the open sewer formerly known as Twitter back in the days when it was an entertaining social media site. Nowadays, about the only reason for an Albertan to hang around there is to see what our homegrown separatist lunatics, their hangers on, and their supporters in the governing United Conservative Party are up to.
Still, no one expected a battle royale over a city bylaw, even on X.
But then Alberta Premier Danielle Smith put her oar into what should have remained a policy discussion at the appropriate level of government with a comment that it “looks like the fun police have struck again in Calgary, this time targeting the Calgary Stampede music scene.” Thereafter the rest of them – up to and including federal Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre – piled on.
Farkas responded with a retort courteous, in the form a fun-police crack of his own. “Looks like the fun police have struck again in Alberta, this time targeting people trying to enjoy a pint,” he said, echoing the language of the premier’s post to remind her that her government’s liquor commission had just announced it would up the minimum price* of a glass of draft beer by 60 per cent pre-Stampede without having told anyone what was coming.
Yesterday, without mentioning either Farkas or Smith, the minister responsible for the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission dropped the suddenly embarrassing price hike and blamed it on the AGLC in a terse 105-word news release.
“We have since directed AGLC to reverse this decision, effective immediately, to provide businesses and Albertans with greater certainty and consistency,” said Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally’s statement, although to call it a government statement gives it a little more dignity than it really deserves.
“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,” Nally continued, adding churlishly, “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.”
Well, I guess you can’t really blame Nally for not wanting to admit Farkas had just made the premier look like the hypocrite she is.
Not long before that tacit admission the government had been outplayed appeared on the government’s website, Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis, a former Calgary cop, responded to Mayor Farkas’s statement the day before that, “last year, several hundred people brought complaints. People reported property damage, windows shaking, items falling from shelves, music until 2 a.m., disorder, and excessive intoxication spilling into nearby neighbourhoods.”
Farkas had ended his statement by saying, “No (one) gets a free pass to disturb residents or create unsafe conditions.”
Ellis’s response purported to announce that the Calgary Police Service and the Alberta Sheriffs would for the first time in history “be signing a memorandum of understanding this week to commit officers to ensure a safe experience.” (Say what? The cops we pay to keep us safe need to sign an MOU to co-operate?)
“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.” So, I guess, the real police are now going to have to also be … the fun police.
This sounds a lot like a political MOU – to use the dreaded P-word that Alberta politicians apparently hate – not a real thing. But to Mr. Ellis’s credit, unlike Nally, at least he acknowledged the mayor had played a role in getting the UCP to pay attention to Calgary’s annual provincial-government-approved orgy of public drunkenness and social disorder.
“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,” Ellis said. “This kind of nonsense is unacceptable. … Alberta’s government will do whatever it takes to ensure Calgary’s downtown and all Calgarians are safe throughout Stampede.”
Now, if the UCP were smart, they’d quietly drop this nonsense. So, naturally, Premier Smith signalled the opposite yesterday, sending a letter to Calgary City Council with an implied threat her government would intervene to force council to drop its noise restrictions if they won’t roll over by June 30.
“Residents deserve to have their concerns heard and addressed,” she said piously in the letter, which to make its point was also signed by Ellis, Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams, Culture Minister Tanya Fir, and Tourism Minister Andrew Boitchenko. “However, meaningful consultation with affected stakeholders should occur before significant operational changes are implemented, particularly when those changes affect one of Alberta’s most important annual events.”
This is pretty rich coming from a government that never mentioned separatism referenda, suspending civil rights for large swathes of the populace, or dismantling public health care before the last election.
“We further request that Council provide a response by June 30 outlining the steps being taken to address these concerns and engage affected stakeholders,” the letter continued. “This will allow Alberta’s government to evaluate whether there is a role for the Province in assisting the City and stakeholders to resolve this issue ahead of this year’s Calgary Stampede.
Translation: Screw the taxpayers and give the Cowboys Music Festival what it wants or we will make you.
Like that coal mine in the Rockies that will never be the subject of a referendum no matter how many signatures the petition got, what voters may think doesn’t really have a lot of influence on what this government is going to do.
Farkas and Calgary City Council should tell the premier to take a hike.
And it sounds as if that’s exactly what the mayor is going to do.
She won’t, but at least that’ll remind Calgarians living near the Stampede’s music tents just how committed to democracy the UCP really is.
And if any of Jason Kenney’s old ear plugs are still lying around the cabinet room at the Alberta Legislature, maybe the taxpayers who have to live with the noise can get Smith to send them some.
