Spring was supposed to usher in a new era of busking freedom in downtown Calgary, but musicians are still having problems playing on Stephen Avenue after the city dropped the $50 licence fee.

Buskers Jon Line and Jordan Forester recently tried to get a permit from the Calgary Downtown Association (CDA) after police told them they needed one to play. When they went to the association’s office, they came up empty. “We were told that there are no passes available,” says Line.

Caralyn Macdonald with the CDA says buskers were briefly turned away June 9 because of the program’s success. “The busking program has been so popular this year we actually ran out of permits for about half a day,” says Macdonald. “We had to contact the city and they reprinted them for us.”

Macdonald says the permits are once again flying out the door “like hotcakes.” Her group has given out more than 200 permits.