New Calgary Street Harassment Rules Are In Effect & There Is A $500 Fine For An Offence
Offensive comments can now be reported to police in Calgary.
Stephen Avenue in Calgary.
People in Calgary can now get fined $500 if they are found to have harassed another person in a public space.
An existing bylaw was amended by the city council, adding new rules aimed specifically at targeting street harassment, and the changes are in effect as of June 1.
The City of Calgary said in a news release that under the new rules, Calgarians will be able to report instances when they've personally been harassed or they've witnessed the harassment of another person in a public space — such as restaurants, sidewalks and libraries.
The amendment to the city's public behaviour bylaw outlined the definition of street harassment as communicating with someone in a way that could "reasonably cause offence or humiliation."
This includes comments or actions that refer to someone's race, religious beliefs, disability, age, marital status, source of income, family status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. It also extends to sexual advances or solicitation.
The amendment also carries a $500 fine for those found to have committed street harassment offences.
Ryan Pleckaitis, the chief bylaw officer for Calgary's community standards team, said that reports of harassment "will be approached seriously and investigated."
\u201cTo deter negative behaviour and support victims, the amendment to Public Behaviour Bylaw 54M2006, which restricts harassment of another person in a public space, goes into effect on June 1.\n\nTo learn more about how we\u2019re taking a stand against street harassment, click \u2b07\ufe0f\u201d— City of Calgary (@City of Calgary) 1654012920
The news release also said that currently, Alberta has no provincial laws against street harassment.
"The City of Calgary has a responsibility to support the well-being, comfort, and safety of Calgarians in public spaces," it added.
Any incidents of street harassment can now be reported to Calgary Police's non-emergency line, by calling 311 or creating a 311 service request online.
People making reports will be asked to share details of the incident, including describing the offender and giving the location of the incident.