Residents of Calgary’s Marda Loop neighbourhood were caught by surprise Friday morning when they came out to find the cars they parked on the street the night before had been towed.
“I woke up, grabbed my things, went to go across the street to get my car and it wasn’t there. And I thought, ‘Oh, well, maybe my partner moved my car in the middle of the night because it was in a one-hour parking zone,” Jodie Dixon told Global News.
After checking with her partner — who said he hadn’t moved the vehicle — Dixon came back out and spotted the no parking sign for an event.
An impromptu trip to the impound lot was next for Dixon.
“I spoke with a few people down there. One gal was on 34 Avenue S.W. She parked a car 8 p.m., came out around 7:30 a.m. because she knew she had a one-hour parking allowance and her car was towed,” Dixon recounted.
Tow truck drivers in the area told Global News around 60 cars were towed. Each driver faces tickets of nearly $170.
The vehicles were towed to make way for the Calgary stop of Play On, dubbed Canada’s largest street hockey festival. This year, it spans 33 Avenue S.W. from 17 Street to 22 Street S.W.
One area restaurant was surprised that the road in front of her restaurant was shut down for Friday — one of the busiest days of the week.
“Look at this: the street is very quiet and no one is coming to visit my business at all,” Khoa Nguyen of K-Thi Vietnamese Cuisine said.
She said she didn’t get any notice of the event and opposed the idea of a street hockey event outside her front door, preventing customers from coming in.
“This has never happened in Marda Loop. It surprised me.”
Organizer and executive chairman Scott Hill said there was robust communication well ahead of the event.
“The business improvement area here notified all commercial tenants of the event about a month and a half ago. We also had door knockers that went out and were placed on every residence three weeks ago,” Hill told Global News. “
And then last night we came out again and put fliers on every vehicle that was parked here to make them aware that there was going to be an issue in the morning if the cars were still here.”
Hill added that when he arrived in the city on Thursday, parking warning signs were up in the neighbourhood. He said a vast majority of area vehicles were moved ahead of the special event parking ban.
“I feel personally very disappointed that there were any cars towed. I feel like our team did really act diligently to try to notify, in working with the business improvement area in the city of Calgary,” he said.
“I know our event director drove somebody to work this morning. I know I personally offered to drive someone to go get their car. So we want to be good neighbours.
“We want this event to flourish here in Calgary. But when you are a street-based event and you’re doing it in a new place after a few years of not doing it, sometimes these things do occur.”
A statement from the City of Calgary said notice of the parking ban was consistent with city practices.
“CPA (Calgary Parking Authority) has confirmed that the signage was adequate and was out at least 12 hours in advance of the ban coming into effect,” the city said.
Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott said that wasn’t enough notice for residents.
“Long story short: notice was given, but we acknowledge that there is a gap in our rules of giving notice as, under certain circumstances, 12 hours is not sufficient,” Walcott told Global News.
The city noted that a lack of available vehicle storage in the area for a so-called “short tow” option required cars in violation of the ban to be towed to the city impound lot.
“The CPA apologies for the inconvenience of vehicle owners having to travel to the impound lot to retrieve their vehicles, and will waive the towing and storage fees incurred. The parking ticket is valid and must be paid or appealed through the normal process.”
Walcott said anyone who has already paid the tow fees will be contacted for a refund of those fees.
Dixon said the ticket and towing charges only add to the day’s frustrations.
“I’m losing a day’s wages – can’t really afford that. I had to get a cab — was another $50,” she said. “Pretty inconvenient.”
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