‘Sent a strong signal’: Calgary council rejects noise bylaw reversal

The Cowboys Music Festival in Calgary.

Calgary councillors voted down an attempt to reverse noise bylaw changes that limit outdoor concert end times and noise levels on weeknights, including during the Calgary Stampede.

An urgent debate at city hall on Tuesday morning came after politicians—including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre—urged Calgary to rethink the sound regulation updates.

“We have sent a strong signal that we value people more than big money. This isn’t about the Stampede at all; it’s about one single bad actor who has chosen to treat their neighbours like garbage,” Mayor Jeromy Farkas said following the vote.

“We heard from thousands of local residents about the property damage that was occurring, the loud music until late, nearly 2, 3 a.m. on weeknights. This new change that we brought in, it’s still the most permissive regime of anywhere else in North America.”

The motion, which failed on a 6-9 vote, sought to allow weeknight outdoor concerts to continue until 1 a.m. with “cool-down” music allowed to play until 1:30 a.m.

Current rules were updated in February of this year to stipulate outdoor concerts must end at midnight on weeknights, though the city amended the bylaw on Tuesday to allow cool-down music to continue until 1 a.m. Allowable music and bass levels are also five decibels lower this year than last year.

The end time for concerts on the weekend is still 1:30 a.m. with cool-down music allowed until 2 a.m.

Paul Vickers, CEO of Penny Lane Entertainment Group, which operates the Cowboys Music Festival tent, told CTV News he thought the new rules “set me up for failure” as the Calgary Stampede fast approaches.

“We really didn’t know what’s going on. So the effects could be laying (people) off, job loss. It could be loss of revenues for both me and the city,” Vickers said.

The noise bylaw update does not impact Stampede events directly on Stampede grounds, Calgary’s chief of community standards explained.

“In our community standards bylaw, there is an exemption carved out for the Stampede for activities on Stampede Park for the duration of the Stampede, so there’s no authority to regulate those issues,” Ryan Pleckaitis said.

“But it’s also the nature of the surrounding area. We don’t have a lot of residences or the same level of residential towers in the (Stampede) area.”

Stampede CEO Joel Cowley confirmed the new noise regulations will not impact entertainment on the grounds because music already ends before the new concert cutoff time.

“Our outdoor activations such as the Coke Stage, GMC Stadium, they’re shut down by 11:30 every night. Nashville North’s last live performance on weeknights ends at midnight,” Cowley said.

“We will go past midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, but I will tell you that, because of the location of Nashville North, it’s not immediately proximate to any residents. We don’t tend to feel it’s a tremendous nuisance to our neighbours.”