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People are already doing enough things in their backyards to annoy their neighbours without adding skateboard ramps to the mix.

Instead of agreeing to study the issue of whether Calgary’s long-standing ban on backyard sports ramps should be lifted, council should simply have saved taxpayers’ dollars and voted to keep the status quo.

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Coun. Evan Woolley wants the ban lifted, in part, so that younger children honing their skateboarding skills can do so at home under their parents’ watchful eye. That’s very big-hearted of you, Coun. Woolley, but the children’s need to sharpen their skills is not their neighbours’ problem. And there certainly won’t be any restrictions on the age limit for using backyard ramps, which means that while younger kids’ bedtimes might give neighbours a break from the noise, teens could be on the ramps at all hours.

Regardless the time of day the ramps would be in use, however, they would only add to the cacophony and din of urban life. People are entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of their own property, and the city should be seeking to add to their serenity, not shatter it by legalizing more noisy and intrusive activities.