CALGARY – A piece of equipment that allows you to get your best selfie with a true wide-angle view has divided tourists and photographers alike.
It’s only been a few years since the word “selfie” became a common term for turning your smartphone lens to capture a close-up of your face. But the long aluminum rods that allow you to hold your phone or GoPro camera much farther than the length of your arm are spurring bans in tourist destinations across the continent.
Wimbledon banned the use of the devices in April, with organizers calling them a “nuisance.”
The Kentucky Derby banned the so-called “Wand of Narcissus,” and the stick is also banned at Cannes, Coachella, Lollapalooza and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, among others.
In Calgary, you can use the selfie sticks at Heritage Park Historical Village, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, and the Calgary Tower—including on the observation deck. A City of Calgary spokesperson said there’s no ban she’s aware of in city-run facilities, apart from recreation facilities where no cameras are allowed.
But Calgary’s Glenbow Museum recently updated its camera policy in May to enforce a ban on the equipment.
“Use of a tripod, extension pole (selfie stick) or similar accessories are not permitted at any time,” reads the policy on the museum’s website.
Glenbow spokesperson Zoltan Varadi said the ban was not caused by any particular incident.
“We just decided we should amend the policy as a precaution as they became more prevalent as a consumer item,” said Varadi. “It was more preventative. We don’t allow backpacks and other things that might damage art.”
The policy at Calgary’s Calaway Park is that selfie sticks are allowed on the grounds, but visitors cannot bring them onto the amusement park’s rides.
With files from Global News and The Canadian Press
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