City of Calgary update on response to COVID-19

The City of Calgary would like to remind citizens that we remain in a State of Local Emergency. This is to support the Province of Alberta’s efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19. The City of Calgary, in collaboration with social agencies, the business community, civic partners and citizens, is taking immediate action to respond to COVID-19.

Please see below for the latest updates

Enforcement:

City of Calgary Community Standards officers are working to help Calgarians understand the importance of adhering to physical distancing, we are still out there talking to those who are too close together and educating them on the physical distancing requirements.

While The City prefers to only use enforcement (ticketing) as a last resort, we expect that we will be starting to issue tickets for those who are not following the public health order by respecting physical distance requirements when they leave their homes.

The fine for contravening the Public Health Order is $1200.

Calgary Parks and our Community Standards staff are proactively observing the usage of our high-use park areas (our off-leash areas and regional parks), so we can better manage our response to COVID-19 and ensure public awareness and safety.

Since last Friday, our officers conducted 241 patrols and engaged with over 1800 citizens providing them with education.

During that time 311 dispatched 152 service requests to Bylaw Services about physical social distancing concerns. These include:

69 calls about social distancing concerns in public areas
36 social distancing concerns on private property (private yard, residence or by fire pit)
21 concerns about playground use
26 concerns related to public gatherings with less than 14 people not practicing safe distancing (anything over 15 goes to CPS)

Over the same time frame, there were also 182 general inquiries received to 311 about social distancing requirements and recommendations.

Cancelled community clean ups

As the weather gets warmer Calgarians thoughts turn to spring cleaning and getting rid of unwanted items. The City of Calgary has unfortunately had to cancel the Community Clean-up events for 2020.

However, starting yesterday (Tuesday, April 21) residents are now able to leave out extra bags of waste if their carts are already full.

Make use of the three carts you have and put the right items in the right bins. If your black cart is full, you can leave out extra garbage bags. If your green cart is full, you can put out extra paper yard waste bags.

For oversized and large items that can’t go in the black cart, you can take to a City landfill for disposal. City landfills are still available for residents.

With more people at home the volume of curbside waste collection has increased and our staff in Waste & Recycling Services have been working very hard to keep up.

Helping pets during an illness

Should any Calgarians find themselves unable to care for their pets while experiencing an illness The City of Calgary’s Animal Services team is here to help. We don’t want any furry friends to be left alone with no one to care for them.

The Safekeeping Program is not new, but was created for scenarios exactly like this, allowing animals to be temporarily cared for at the Animal Services building for up to 14 days (and longer if necessary).

While having a pet cared for in their own home or by someone they know is the least stressful for the pet (and their owner), the Safekeeping Program can assist when options are limited. At the end of the day, we want to make sure Calgary’s animals are properly cared for in these challenging times.

The City’s Safekeeping Program is intended for cats and dogs, but the Calgary Humane Society and Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society offer similar services where they may provide safekeeping for other small pets and exotic animals.

If you or a loved one are in need the City’s Safekeeping service, you can contact 311 for further information.

Supporting Businesses

Supporting local businesses is more important than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit businesses in Calgary hard, and we know many were already challenged from a tough economy. But every small act gives our business community hope.

You can still help while physical distancing by:

Buying from local businesses online; purchasing gift cards to use later.
Ordering delivery or takeout from local restaurants.
Leaving positive reviews of the businesses you love on social media and online.
Spreading the word about businesses who are shifting their services online.

We know that navigating the COVID-19 pandemic has been tough for businesses. We’re here to help support you and do all we can to support our local economy. For updates, resources and information, visit calgary.ca/covid-business.

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