Fans, businesses and the Calgary police are gearing up for the first round in the 2017 run for the Stanley Cup.
“Well this is my first time living in Alberta during the playoffs,” one Calgary Flames fan told Global News while sipping a beer on the Trolley 5 pub patio. “I’m definitely going to go to games and just have fun.”
“We are expecting great crowds for the first round, obviously, and if we make it to the second round, you see a doubling here on the avenue—guaranteed,” Trolley 5 pub owner Ernie Tsu said.
Calgary is still recovering from low oil prices and massive layoffs.
Businesses along the Red Mile say they will welcome the bigger crowds and enthusiasm that comes from playoff hockey.
“It will be good for the people serving beer and food and jewelry,” Rubaiyat jewelry shop owner Pamela Haight said. “Come get some earrings.”
The Red Mile was started back in 2004 when the Flames went all the way to the Stanley Cup finals, only to lose in Game 7 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Upwards of 60,000 people streamed out onto 17 Avenue S.W. during that series, during which fans were generally well-behaved, with few arrests.
Calgary police say they have a flexible security plan to deal with the large crowds on the Red Mile in 2017.
The message from CPS is: have fun, be safe and obey the law.
“When it comes to breaking the law, again, everything is still being enforced,” Staff Sgt. Clare Smart said in a Tuesday news conference to unveil some details of the plan. “No laws are being changed, we are not easing up on anything, but we have to make sure the number 1 priority is the safety of the public.”
There will be a parking ban along parts of 17 Avenue S.W. so pedestrians can walk all over the street during the celebrations.
Police also said if there’s a Battle of Alberta showdown, it could mean new challenges.
Should the Calgary Flames play the Edmonton Oilers, police have concerns about the rivalry heating up the tempo of celebrations.
They said the bigger issue may be a spike in impaired drivers travelling between the two Alberta cities on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway.
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