Calgary city council to debate safety bylaws after protests at library drag events

Calgary city council will discuss updating a current behaviour bylaw and bringing another to crack down on protests at drag events.

The proposed changes, which are on the agenda for this week’s council meeting, include adding the word “intimidation” to the existing public behaviour bylaw.

A second bylaw, which would be called the safe and inclusive access bylaw, is also set to be debated by councillors as early as Tuesday.

The latter would prohibit protests within 100 metres of an entrance to a recreation facility or library and anywhere inside those facilities.

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Mount Royal University justice studies professor Doug King says there are two issues with the current bylaw.

King says the language isn’t clear on how it can be enforced. He thinks that’s what they’re trying to change by including new content about intimidation.

“It’s a bylaw not just to tackle harassment but to tackle what is the notion of intimidation,” King told CityNews.

“Council thinks or is just considering whether or not that is going to sharpen it up enough so that peace officers will be able to look at the situation and then decide whether or not … they should intervene [or] no they shouldn’t.”

The second, he says, is the education peace officers need to have in order to understand the bylaw better with effective training on how to proceed in different situations.

“It seems to be the case with all levels of government these days that they rush out legislation, but they forget about the implementation steps that take place,” King said.

“I think that’s where we are right now, and I think that city council is kind of backtracking a bit to refine the implementation of peace officers,” he said.

The move comes as 36-year-old Calgary pastor Derek Scott Reimer faces criminal and bylaw charges related to disruption during a Reading with Royalty event at a public library in February.

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• Calgary police charge man with hate crime at library drag event

• What is fuelling Calgary drag protests?

• Calgary bylaw to crack down on protests at libraries and recreation centres

A counter-protestor holds a sign that says “Love is love” outside the Municipal Building in downtown Calgary on Saturday, March 4, 2023. (Alejandro Melgar, CityNews photo).

Drag queens or kings lead the family-friendly story times at libraries, and children are invited to dress in their best outfits, cape or crown.

The public behaviour bylaw carries a maximum penalty of up to a $10,000 fine or six months in jail.

If passed by council, the safe and inclusive access bylaw would carry the same penalty for anyone involved in hate-related protests around civic community facilities and public facilities.

“Recent protests have targeted members of the (LGBTQ) community and impeding the city of Calgary’s ability to provide safe and inclusive access to city services,” reads the new bylaw proposal. “The public is entitled to access these services without being exposed to messaging or behaviour that is hateful, intimidates, harasses or discriminates.”

The proposal lists several events that have led to safety concerns, which include: a Drag on Ice event that was postponed at the Chinook Blast festival on Feb. 10; ongoing protests at Canyon Meadows aquatic and fitness centre, which is connected to Calgary Recreation’s transgender and gender-diverse facility; and the children’s reading programs at public libraries.