r/betterCalgary

Source

via u/jeromyyyc Threads account.

Tag u/jeromyyyc if you want him to see your reply.

*****

I was really disappointed to see Country Thunder throw the City and music fans under the bus today by falsely blaming our noise rules for cancelling their concert.

They are plainly trying to take advantage of the noise and misinformation around this and bluntly hoping that you wouldn't look at the facts.

Just two days ago, Country Thunder told CityNews that things were going well and that the City’s noise rules would not affect its event.

This and other articles clearly state that the organizers say the changes won't impact their operations. Their own staff are quoted saying, “Our curfew for our festival has always been 11 p.m.”

So blaming a midnight music cutoff for shutting down your concert that ends at 11 p.m. is absolutely bogus.

Country Thunder was never part of the debate over whether the downtown tents should end at 2am or midnight. In fact, the City actually increased the allowable music volume for Country Thunder.

Now, two days after saying things were going great, Country Thunder says sound limits made their event impossible.

Those statements do not line up. Even their statements about construction are easily debunked, because our teams have been working really closely with them for months now.

I am not going to speculate about why they made this decision to so grossly mislead the public. I'm not going to speculate on how the massive rain this weekend was going to impact their sales. And I'm not going to speculate on how the news of their headliner Kane Brown pulling out of concerts was going to impact sales.

But it's crystal clear country thunder made a business decision that can not blamed on the city noise rules. I'm really disappointed for ticket holders, workers, vendors, performers, local businesses, and every music fan who planned to attend.

Calgary supports great events, live music, tourism, and jobs. But the facts matter. And organizers need to be honest with their customers and take responsibility for their decisions.

*****

I'm re-posting for visibility across Calgary subreddits:

• r/YYC

• r/NoRulesCalgary

• r/BetterCalgary

Jeromy Farkas is the original poster.

Tagging u/jeromyyyc will ensure he sees replies.

A request for official communications to the above subreddits was made here: https://www.reddit.com/r/YYC/s/0VvC8G4Wnj

via u/jeromyyyc

*****

It's time to cut through the bullshit about the Cowboys tent.

By now you've seen the coordinated smear campaign from out-of-town politicians. They think you're stupid and want you to believe that we're somehow cancelling Stampede by asking the big tents to use the same rules in place at Coachella, Lollapooloza and all the other world class festivals.

That's the first piece of bullshit. We're not talking about Stampede at all. We're talking about a few off-site tents that have been treating their neighbors like garbage.

Here's the truth. In the last few years, the tents were given a special exemption way above and beyond what was in place up until about 2019. People living near these tents were told to call 311 and wait. Their windows shook and broke. Their shelves rattled. Music ran on weeknights until 2 or 3 a.m. They dealt with property damage, public disorder, and excessive intoxication outside their homes.

Thousands of Calgarians raised their concerns. And just like when we repealed blanket rezoning, the city chose to listen to the people rather than answer to the money.

The second piece of bullshit is that Calgary's rules suck compared to everywhere else. In fact, the changes are modest. There's no change on weekends. But on weeknights, concerts now need to wrap up by 1230am. Even with this change, it means that Calgary still allows outdoor music later than anywhere else in North America.

The third piece of bullshit is that this was done last minute. This wasn't a last minute change. The big tents knew in February that their exemption was under review. Cowboys was told again in May. Their exemption depended on managing noise, safety, and impacts on nearby residents. They did not meet that standard.

But what isn't bullshit is that as your mayor I am fighting for you. I want you to know that a permit is not a licence to bully a neighbourhood. It is not a profit guarantee. I was elected to stand up for Calgarians, not to take orders from wealthy donors, lobbyists, or politicians protecting their friends.

I am more than happy to seek compromise and work with operators who respect Calgarians. But I answer to the nurse on an early shift, the parent getting kids ready for school, and the worker who needs sleep.

So no. We are not cancelling Stampede. We are protecting it. Stampede succeeds because Calgarians welcome millions of people into our city. That goodwill matters. A few operators do not get to damage the reputation of an event that belongs to all of us.

If you want to do business in Calgary, respect the people who live next door.

*****

I'm re-posting for visibility across Calgary subreddits:

• r/YYC

• r/NoRulesCalgary

• r/BetterCalgary

Jeromy Farkas is the original poster. Tagging u/jeromyyyc will ensure he sees replies.

A request for official communications to the above subreddits was made here: https://www.reddit.com/r/YYC/s/0VvC8G4Wnj

I'm re-posting for visibility across Calgary subreddits:

• r/YYC

• r/NoRulesCalgary

• r/BetterCalgary

Jeromy Farkas is the original poster.

Tagging u/jeromyyyc will ensure he sees replies.

A request for official communications to the above subreddits was made here: https://www.reddit.com/r/YYC/s/0VvC8G4Wnj