Latest news with #AlbertaHospitalityAssociation
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
City starts crackdown on noisy vehicles in residential, commercial areas
The city says it's cracking down on noisy vehicles by increasing monitoring in residential communities and specific commercial areas like 17th Avenue. Using calibrated decibel meters and noise sensors, the city's traffic safety team will document violations, focusing on areas with high traffic complaints and noise reports. "The overall goal is to reduce it… to make them a little bit quieter, make them a little more comfortable for people that are being impacted and affected by this across Calgary," said Bradley Johnson, head of the traffic safety team. Fines include $270 for operating a vehicle over the legal noise limit and $300 for failing to comply during a noise level test. Common noisy vehicle violations include: loud exhausts and mufflers, excessive engine revving, squealing tires, roaring or explosive sounds, loud stereos, amplification equipment, and vehicle alarms. Modifying a vehicle to increase its noise — such as installing aftermarket mufflers — is also a violation of the Traffic Safety Act and will be subject to fines. "Alongside a decibel reading, we also take into consideration, you know, the time of day, the location of the noise ... how many people are around, what's going on, to kind of incorporate a full look at what is going on in the area and the impact that this noise may be causing for citizens," Johnson said. The traffic safety team launched back in March, and is a 12-month pilot program focused on tackling noisy vehicle violations, enforcing speed limits in playground zones and promoting traffic safety education. The team includes eight peace officers and two sergeants, building on the Calgary Police Service's ongoing work. Ernie Tsu, president of the Alberta Hospitality Association and owner of Trolley 5 Restaurant and Brewery on 17th Avenue, said loud vehicles have always been a problem on the busy street, and while it seems to have gotten better over the last couple of years, it is still an issue. "All of us businesses are kind of holding our breath back to see how the city's going to enforce it and if it actually happens," he said of the crackdown. "We're hoping that, you know, when we have older couples for their anniversaries or families out for brunch, that… the level of volume from the cars or the motorbikes is brought down." Tsu says the noise is particularly a concern for patio-goers during summer months. Last year, city officials deployed acoustic monitoring devices on 17th Avenue, among other locations, to gauge the amount of excessive noise. Johnson reminded Calgarians with performance vehicles to be mindful of others, especially now as people are out enjoying the weather. "It doesn't mean we don't want you driving them. Absolutely, we want you to enjoy what you have. Just be respectful with it. Not everyone wants to hear that when they're out on a patio," he said. "You don't need to do that excessive engine revving. You don't need to peel out, you know, in a crowded area or anything else like that that's just above and beyond what you need to do." Residents can report noisy vehicles to 311.
CBC
19-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Alberta hospitality sector says staffing levels have improved — but gaps remain
Canmore businesses struggling to recruit enough workers for summer rush, says local association Image | Help wanted sign in Banff, Alta. Caption: A help wanted sign is pictured in Banff, Alta. The Alberta Hospitality Association says staffing levels have improved since last year, but workforce challenges remain in the Bow Valley. (Bryan Labby/CBC) As hospitality businesses in Alberta prepare for another summer tourism rush, the Alberta Hospitality Association (AHA) said fewer hotels and restaurants are short-staffed or struggling to recruit workers compared to previous years. The sector dealt with labour shortages for several years coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the AHA, but the outlook for the industry's labour market has improved. "We've been hearing some pretty positive news," said AHA president Ernie Tsu. "We're seeing a lot of folks, secondary students returning back to the industry. Staffing has actually been fairly decent." Tsu credits the high pay offered at some accommodation and food service jobs for attracting workers back to the sector, which grew by 8,500 jobs from April 2024 to April 2025, according to StatsCan data. Job growth in the hospitality sector has come as some young workers in Alberta have struggled to find work elsewhere. The province's youth unemployment rate reached 17.2 per cent in April, up 0.9 per cent from the same time last year. Too many unfilled jobs in Alberta, says Restaurants Canada But even though more workers are employed in Alberta's hospitality sector compared to a year ago, there are still 11,000 unfilled restaurant positions around the province, according to Restaurants Canada. "We certainly still have big job vacancies, especially in the rural areas of the province," said Mark von Schellwitz, the organization's vice-president for Western Canada. "There are just not as many youth entering the workforce anymore, which is forcing our industry to become more creative, and try and attract people who are, say, retiring." Restaurant operator burnout is a concern around the country, von Schellwitz added. "They're trying to … cover off a lot of this extra work themselves in the absence of having adequate staffing levels," he said. Bow Valley businesses struggling with summer staffing Tsu said he's hearing good things about staffing levels in Calgary but shortages are still a concern in the Bow Valley. There are more hospitality jobs available in Canmore than there are applicants, according to the Downtown Canmore Business Improvement Area (BIA). "Many of the businesses are starting to see more resumes," said Gradey McMahon, the BIA's executive director, adding they're only seeing "100 resumes for 200 jobs." "The majority of the businesses go through it," he said. "It takes a lot of people to keep a restaurant on the go. So it's tough to go from winter slow to summer busy." McMahon said Canmore's limited and expensive housing continues to have a big impact on the labour market. Fewer rental units were on the market in April compared to a year earlier, according to the Canmore Housing Corporation.
