Article content continued

April Parker, who started the petition, said she is “shocked” by the amount of support it’s received.

“It seems a lot of Calgarians are concerned with the age limit for the event,” she said. “I’m hoping they will at least change it to 18 plus.”

Coun. Jeromy Farkas, whose ward encompasses the leisure centre, said his office has been flooded with calls and emails.

“I think the point is taken where it’s not anybody’s business what people do in their own time on private property without harming other people,” he said. “But what I’m hearing from my constituents is that given that this is a public facility, there needs to be a little bit more thought given to the safety, the security and the comfort of the people involved.”

But the nudist group has dismissed the assertion its events should be limited to adults.

“The suggestion that our events should be marketed as ‘adult only’ entertainment illustrates the disconnect between what people THINK social nudity is about versus what social nudity is ACTUALLY about,” it stated on its Facebook page.

Two other events are planned for Feb. 11 and March 11.

The group describes the swim nights as “naked events for people who enjoy their birthday suits” and stresses the events are a non-judgmental environment for self-expression, rather than a place to show off or stare at other people’s bodies.

Events like these have taken place at public swimming pools across the country for decades and are never limited to adults, said Ron Schout, president of the Canadian Federation of Naturists.