Red Mile

Concerns by the City about the violence encouraged by having so many bars in such close proximity ultimately led to the shut down of Electric Avenue in the early 1990s.

The fact that this was spontaneous is a phenomenon in itself; there had been no advertising or other form of publicizing of 17th Avenue as an after-game party strip prior to the playoff run.

The Red Mile's primary claim to fame was its relaxed attitude towards society's norms, as women bared their breasts to chants like "Flames in six, show us your tits" and "shirts off for Kiprusoff".

However, University of Calgary professor Mary Valentich argued that the nudity was the result of "a complex set of factors, including a desire to celebrate the Flames victories, a desire to break the rules, feelings of stardom and a sense of history",[2] and that many women did not feel that their actions were sexual in nature, but rather a part of the party.

Complaints about the noise and traffic tie-ups by some area businesses and residents led to the Calgary Police proposing to severely limit or shut down the Red Mile entirely for the 2006 playoffs.

The policy was first enforced during a regular season game against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim as dozens of officers patrolled the area between the Saddledome and 17th Avenue S.W.

The reason for the police presence was that the game was seen as a preview of the opening round of the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs which featured Anaheim vs Calgary.

However, following the Flames' game five victory, police reported that some of the estimated 18,000 fans on the mile were lighting firecrackers in the crowd, and had thrown bottles at officers.

[4] Following one of the most successful regular seasons in franchise history, Calgary Flames fans once again returned to the Red Mile on 17 Avenue SW.

[6] In preparation for Round 1, the City of Calgary put a parking ban in place along the Red Mile for home playoff games, along with alcohol only allowed inside licensed establishments, no public consumption of cannabis, and an increased police and peace officer presence.