| Whether the Flames playoff series ended May 3 or whether the team continues to battle for the Stanley Cup, debate over the police crackdown on the Red Mile is bound to continue.
Some business owners along 17th Avenue S.W. say their businesses have suffered due to crowd-control measures taken by the police on Flames playoff game nights, and some hockey fans say the police have cracked down too hard on Calgarians who just wanted to have a harmless party, but others welcome the increased police presence.
On Friday, April 29, police completely blocked vehicle access onto 17th Avenue S.W. due to the thousands of people who took over the street. Prior to that, police were reducing traffic to one lane from 3:30 p.m. to midnight on game nights and vehicles were only allowed to access the street from Macleod Trail, First, Second and Fourth streets. Parking meters have also been hooded and access to some parking lots has been cut off.
Police have been out in force on the Red Mile, handing out warnings and tickets to try and control crowds, which reached a peak of between 15,000 and 18,000 on April 29.
Shannon Jules, an employee at The Wine Shop, says reduced parking during Flames game nights has reduced business. "It has been a little bit hurtful because our parking situation was bad already," she adds.
However, Jules says the police presence is positive because "some people are afraid to approach the Red Mile."
The owner of El Sombrero Restaurante Mexicano, Ranferi Rogel, says he’s had about 50 per cent fewer customers than normal on Flames game nights because it’s so inconvenient to get to the restaurant.
"I don’t like it because it’s affecting the business," he says of the restrictions on parking and traffic.
When the Flames were in the playoffs two years ago, he didn’t have any problems with fans taking to the Red Mile. "There were problems but no major problems. Everyone was having fun."
Sveinn Sigurdson, who owns the building that El Sombrero is in, is unimpressed with the police tactics and says they’re acting like "gestapo."
"There’s checkpoints, like we’re living in some war zone. That’s the way it looks and feels," he says. "Tourists must think this is so unwelcoming."
But other business owners welcome the police presence, including Kim Fedor, manager of Buhran Gallery.
She says some customers haven’t wanted to come down to 17th Avenue during Flames games because of the crowds. "Possibly now with a police presence, it might mean safety for them… it might be more controlled. They’re not going into a big carnival."
She says two years ago, businesses experienced property damage and had to contend with drunks peeing all over the place.
Aaron MacRae, a server at Cilantro restaurant, says business is probably 80 per cent slower on Flames game nights than other nights but he’s supportive of the police presence.
"I think, in general, the police measures are good considering some of the stuff that’s going on here late at night. I’m glad they’re here. As far as the hockey games, the nights that there are hockey games our business is significantly slower. I think our clientele doesn’t want to come down to the Red Mile," he says.
MacRae says he doesn’t think people are choosing to stay away because it’s inconvenient for them to get to Cilantro.
"I think the Red Mile is a bunch of hooligans with absolutely nothing to do with hockey," he says, adding that he’s seen drug use, "excessive public drunkenness" and vandalism on the street.
"If you tell anyone not to use your parking lot as a urinal they’re very aggressive and telling you to fuck off. All we’re asking is for them not to come back and urinate on our cars. I think there’s definitely the possibility for it to get out of hand," he says.
But hockey fans having a drink at Melrose bar say police are getting too carried away.
"I think they’re taking it a little far," says Maurice Normand, adding that he was just standing outside a bar talking on his cellphone when some police officers came along and told him to "move along."
"I think that was a little bit excessive."
Shauna Meyerson says she often travels in Europe and sports fans are much crazier over there.
"People go insane and it’s fun to go to sporting events," she says, adding that on one Flames game night, fans weren’t allowed to walk out onto the street even though police had closed it off to traffic. Instead, they had to stay on the sidewalk. |
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