The City of Calgary says it is taking a stand against street harassment in the city with the introduction of a new amendment to the Public Behaviour Bylaw — and a hefty fine. ."The City of Calgary is taking a holistic approach to end street harassment, with measures that use collaboration, education, and enforcement to regulate behaviour that infringes on Calgarians’ ability to enjoy public spaces and feel safe in communities," said Aalika Kohli, business strategist, Calgary Community Standards..The city said it studied the prevalence of street harassment locally, nationally and internationally, surveyed 500 randomly selected Calgarians, reviewed existing bylaws, engaged with community-based partners and agencies and evaluated peer-reviewed research to gathered data on the effects of street harassment and ways to curb it. ."The impacts of harassment have lasting effects for individuals, both emotionally and psychologically," the City of Calgary posted on a new webpage dedicated to the impacts of street harassment. ."Street harassment is a cultural and intergenerational issue that is prevalent in society as an expression of power. It restricts safe access to public spaces for victims and forces them to alter their behaviour out of fear, anxiety, and other psychological and physical harms." ."This is why the City of Calgary has taken action to make our streets safer for everyone." .The bylaw will apply to harassing behaviour in public spaces within Calgary including businesses such as restaurants, on sidewalks, in libraries, etc. The fine is $500 and the city said every report will be taken seriously and investigated..According to the bylaw, "Communicating with a person in a manner that could reasonably cause offence or humiliation, including conduct, comment, or actions that refers to the person’s:.race/colour/ancestry/place of originreligious beliefsdisabilityagemarital statussource of incomefamily statusgender/gender identity/gender expressionsexual orientation;.and includes a sexual solicitation or advance.".When asked how the city plans to differentiate between what would be considered "harassment" and a person's right to "protest," a city spokesperson told the Western Standard, "The bylaw isn't aimed at regulating the right to protest." ."The intent of the bylaw is to address offences related to street harassment that impacts those who are victims through communication in a way that can reasonably cause offence or humiliation in a public space."."Certain behaviour that may be a by-product of protests can [be] captured under this bylaw, just as protestors who commit other bylaw offences while protesting, could be subject to offences under those bylaws." .Based on public opinion research, the city found "nearly 45% of Calgarians surveyed feel that street harassment has a moderate to major impact on their quality of life." .It was also found to disproportionately affect females, racialized or indigenous persons, those who wear clothing or symbols that indicate their religion and members of the LGBTQ+ community. .Of those surveyed, 80% said they feel the city should take a larger role in addressing the issue. .Actions to deter negative behaviour and support victims include:.Street Harassment Amendment to Public Behaviour Bylaw 54M2006: As of June 1, 2022 it is an offence to harass another person in a public space in Calgary, carrying a fine of $500.Public Awareness: We understand that enforcement cannot solely address this systemic issue. Therefore, we are working to increase public awareness of street harassment and encouraging Calgarians to be aware of their own safety and the safety of others.UN Women’s Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Program Global Initiative: The City of Calgary is pursuing membership with this UN program that bolsters cities’ ability to address this issue. More information will be made available when membership is granted..The amendment to the Public Behaviour Bylaw will go into effect June 1 and will restrict harassment of another person in a public space. .In addition to the bylaw, the city said it is pursuing membership with the UN Women's Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Program, "a global initiative that bolsters cities' ability to address the issue of harassment." ."There is no cost to The City of Calgary for membership to the UN [program]," the city spokesperson said. .The city will also invest in a public awareness campaign this summer. .The city is encouraging residents who feel they've experienced street harassment in public spaces to report the incident either through the Calgary Police Service non-emergency line at 403-268-1234 or by calling 3-1-1. For those feeling threatened or in danger, call 9-1-1. The city also encourages anyone who needs support dealing with the effects of street harassment to contact the Distress Centre at 403-266-4357.
