Chestermere City Council passed the third reading of the combative sports bylaw, permitting professional boxing events.
The bylaw was tabled for review by councillors, city staffers, the bylaw sponsor, and legal representatives before coming back to council at the March 14 meeting.
“The legal team looked through the bylaw, only caring about liability to the city, and the technical aspects to that,” Chestermere’s Legislative Administrator Kallen Morrison said. “It’s clear and good to go.”
Alex Halat brought forward the bylaw in February to council, as a way to bring professional boxing to Chestermere, and allow Chestermere’s Olympus Boxing Club to host large-scale events.
Halat explained to council that the purpose of the commission is to ensure rules are followed under professional standards.
“The role of the commission is to make sure everything is followed under professional guidelines for professional boxing. They would oversee the judges, referees, insurance, and the overall event,” Halat said. “At the end of the day, the city has full authority to pull the pin.”
Morrison added that the City of Chestermere has the ultimate signing authority of any regulated combative sports event.
“The commission essentially does all the leg work, makes sure everything is up to code, and makes sure bylaws are followed,” Morrison said.
The city is responsible to ensure the commission is doing work diligently and ensuring work is done properly before officially signing off on an event.
“The city can remove its approval from any previously signed document based on the city’s best interest,” Morrison said.
Anyone interested in hosting a boxing event is required to pay a regulated combative sports permit fee, a promotor license fee, and a business license if the event is being held on city-owned property.
“In my opinion, it makes sense for a business license to be for-profit, as opposed to not-for-profit, that’s a good distinction,” Mayor Jeff Colvin said.
“We want to make it clear to people interested in conducting a regulated combative sports event that they have to get an event permit, and an event agreement from the city if the event is hosted on city property,” Morrison said.
