'Don't be like Toronto': Calgary mayor asks people to avoid crowding 4 popular parks

Calgary's mayor is asking people to avoid crowding the city's most popular parks with a simple message:"Don't be like Toronto."

Over the weekend, Toronto made headlines for the wrong reasons after thousands of residentsflocked to Trinity Bellwoods park, located in the city's downtown, violating physical distancing rules and prompting admonishments from Ontario's premier and public health officials.

• If weekend crowding at Trinity Bellwoods causes a COVID-19 outbreak, how will we trace it?
• Isolation fatigue: Why some are ignoring distancing rules as Toronto reopens

In Calgary, Mayor Naheed Nenshi said people have largely doing a good job following the rules but the city will ask residents to avoid four parks to avoid a similar situation as the weather warms up.

"We have a beautiful city that is full of green spaces, and there are great opportunities to get together in your own neighbourhood," the mayor said during a public update on the city's COVID-19 response onTuesday.

Calgarians are being asked to avoid:

• Eau Claire promenade.
• Prince's Island Park.
• Sue Higgins Dog Park.
• Nose Hill Park.

Calgary currently has561 active COVID-19 cases of the province's 714, and Nenshi said as businesses around the city continue to reopen, the onus will be on Calgarians to prevent those numbers from drastically increasing.

He reminded Calgarians that while restaurants and bars have reopened, people can only be seated within two metres of those they share a household with.

• Calgary business owners excited yet wary as they reopen their doors

As businesses reopened on Monday, there were only two business licence complaints (both related to distancing in hair salons) and both were resolved.

Over the weekend, bylaw officers conducted 190 patrols and issued142 warnings to people about public health orders. There were also 64 calls about people not following the rules. Business licence officers attended 21 calls, conducted 32 inspections and issued one warning.