CALGARY—Smoking cigarettes or the devil’s lettuce. Flying drones, riding Segways and playing disc golf. Walking dogs without leashes, but without all the dog poop.

Going nude, but only in hot weather. And most of all, having a beer with their picnic.

These are just some of the things Calgarians want to be able to do in their parks.

The city’s parks and pathway bylaw got a big update in March, adding and increasing fines for speeding, littering, and more. The rules hadn’t been reviewed since 2003.

The changes arose from public consultations about the bylaw in 2018. The city released the results of that process in a 131-page report detailing the most common complaints and requests from citizens. Of those 131 pages, 121 list verbatim the various comments respondents had regarding what they wanted to see in city parks.

If there was one thing Calgary park users agreed on, it was that they wanted to be allowed to drink in parks, something the city is now looking into. A pilot project may be launched this summer. Many cited Europe and Montreal as examples of places that allow booze in parks, saying they’d like to be able to have a responsible drink or two along with food.

“Because adults should be able to enjoy a glass of wine at a picnic,” wrote one respondent.

“I should be allowed to go for a walk with my buddies and have a beer by the river,” wrote another.

Some suggested a compromise, asking for seasonal beer and wine gardens at Calgary parks.

Several topics were heavily mentioned, but were also divisive: smoking, dogs, drones, cyclists, and motorized vehicles, such as ebikes, scooters and Segways.

Some people want smoking rules to be less strict, such as in designated “smoking friendly” parks. Others complained that smokers aren’t following the existing rules, which prohibit smoking in all city parks. Smoking isn’t covered by the parks and pathway bylaw, however, but by the provincial Tobacco Reduction Act and the city’s smoking and vaping bylaw.

Many respondents wanted to be able to consume cannabis in the park, whether by smoking or vaping, which is currently prohibited. One person hoped to be allowed to build “structures/forts ... so I can smoke weed in them.” (The bylaw doesn’t cover forts for hotboxing, but let’s assume that’s prohibited too.)

Many comments complained about cyclist speed, while others wanted more freedom for cyclists. The bylaw update in March increased fines for cyclists speeding, as well as for a variety of other offences. The speed limit, unless otherwise posted, is 20 km/h, and cyclists can be fined as much as $400 for exceeding the limit.

Dogs, and the waste they leave behind, featured heavily in the report: The word “dog” appears 806 times (not counting the five people who want to be able to cook hotdogs or buy from a hotdog stand). The word “poop” and its synonyms appeared 141 times. While many dog owners wanted more opportunities for off-leash dog walking, others wanted dog-free parks and stricter consequences for owners who don’t clean up after their pets or who let their dogs off leash in restricted areas.

Several cyclists complained about being chased or even bitten by off-leash dogs, while some dog owners complained about cyclists being allowed to ride through off-leash parks. “I love our parks but wish there was better separations between dog owners, bike commuting traffic, play areas,” wrote one respondent.

Speaking of dogs, many respondents wanted the freedom to go dogsledding in parks, one of many currently prohibited activities Calgarians wished they could do within city limits. Slacklining, which is like tightrope walking a foot or so off the ground, was on many a wish list, as was cyclocross (a form of bike racing), and in some cases, swings for grown-ups. A few respondents wished they could forage for berries, and some asked for more fruit trees. “Fruit trees create as much shade as any other tree and are more useful,” wrote one respondent in all caps.

A few people wanted to be allowed to sunbathe nude, or at least topless. One wanted to be able to breakdance — though there’s no rule against it in the bylaw — and a few advocated for their right to practise parkour.

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Drones were perhaps the most divisive topic in the report. While many respondents wanted to be able to fly their drones or other remote-controlled flying gadgets, many others voiced their irritation with drone users and worried about the safety of dogs and children.

Perhaps one respondent summed it all up with this comment: “Beers, drones, ice cream. Permits for all.”

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