Red Mile
Encyclopedia
The Red Mile is the name given to a several-block stretch of 17th Avenue S.W. in Calgary
, Alberta
, Canada
during the Calgary Flames
2004 Stanley Cup
playoff run. It gained world wide notoriety both for the relative lack of violence while upwards of 55 000 fans celebrated their team's success, as well as for the Mardi Gras
-like atmosphere as societal norms were routinely flouted, particularly by women flashing
their breasts. The 'Red' originates from the home team colour of the Calgary Flames' jerseys, red, similarly characterized by the 'Sea of Red' seen at many home games in the Saddledome; 'Sea of Red' and 'C of Red' (for the Flames' flaming C) is a play on words.
2004 marked the first time the Flames qualified for the NHL
's Stanley Cup playoffs since 1996. The Red Mile's beginnings were relatively humble, and consisted of people driving down the Red Mile honking and waving flags, as people walked the streets cheering and clapping hands. Several thousand fans went to bars along 17th Avenue S.W. to watch the Flames on the road against the Vancouver Canucks
in the first round, and also to watch the team play at the nearby Pengrowth Saddledome
for home games. When the Flames eliminated the Canucks in the seventh and deciding game by Martin Gelinas
' overtime goal, fans flooded the streets in a relatively spontaneous party celebrating the Flames first playoff series victory since the 1989 Stanley Cup
final against the Montreal Canadiens
. 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.
As the Flames progressed through the subsequent playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings
, San Jose Sharks
and Tampa Bay Lightning
, the popularity of the Red Mile continued to grow, and along with it the party atmosphere. By the time of the seventh game of the Stanley Cup final against Tampa, the city was expecting over 100,000 people would flood the area if the Flames were to win the Cup. This, however, was not to be as the Lightning defeated the Flames in Game 7, 2-1.
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
". The growing amount of nudity led to the creation of the controversial flamesgirls.com website that featured hundreds of photos of women flashing the crowd.
The website, and the growing number of revelers with cameras in hand intent only on snapping photos of topless women caused critics to condemn it as little more than the exploitation of women. This argument was supported when the producers of the Girls Gone Wild
pornography series came to Calgary in the summer of 2005 looking for material for its series.
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", and that many women did not feel that their actions were sexual in nature, but rather a part of the party.
Despite the police presence, there were very few incidents involving police. For example, someone witnessed a drunken fan carrying open alcohol get pushed into a group of police officers, however the police officers simply confiscated the alcohol and then sent the person on their way. The attitude of the police officers seems to discourage people from committing violent acts.
Some people even suggest a few officers have participated in some celebrations while on duty. To what extent is unknown, however it is common for fans to chat in a friendly manner with the police, and for officers to occasionally shout things such as "go Flames". It is unknown what the internal policies of the police service are on officers participating with fans.
proposing to severely limit or shut down the Red Mile entirely for the 2006 playoffs. Police announced a zero-tolerance policy on jaywalking
, public drunkenness and public nudity.
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. handing out nearly 500 tickets during their crackdown. Police justified the crackdown arguing that while there was a notable lack of violence in 2004, the potential remains high in such situations. The time and cost to police during was also a concern. As many as 300 officers patrolled the Red Mile, including the police helicopter, at a cost of over $1 million. 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. The game was the final game of the regular season for both teams.
The police crackdown has divided the community, as many fans found it excessive and even oppressive. A protest rally was organized, though fewer than two dozen people actually attended.
Despite their attempts, police were unable to stop fans from overwhelming the street following the Flames 2–1 overtime victory in the first game of the 2006 playoffs, as over 10,000 fans packed the Red Mile. No major incidents were reported. 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. One officer suffered a cut, and 12 people were arrested for various offenses.
upset victory over the Red Wings in the first round of the 2006 playoffs, several thousand fans flocked to Whyte Avenue in Edmonton, Alberta. Local media labeled it the "Blue Mile" or the "Copper Kilometer", since it closely resembled the events which took place on the Red Mile. There were incidents of violence, including 2 stabbings in Edmonton. The Oilers success has similarly spawned a website similar to flamesgirls.com called The Blue Mile.
Unlike Calgary's Red Mile, Whyte Avenue in Edmonton gained national attention for its level of violence in May 2006; so much so that the mayor of Edmonton, Stephen Mandel
threatened to close down the strip: "I hope this doesn't come down to having to shut down Whyte completely ... but this will not be tolerated going into the final series.". In the celebrations following the Oilers advancement into the Stanley Cup finals, 15 people were arrested after several windows were smashed and at least nine garbage fires were set.
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
during the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
2004 Stanley Cup
2003–04 Calgary Flames season
The 2003–04 Calgary Flames season was the 24th National Hockey League season in Calgary, and the 32nd for the franchise in the NHL. The Flames ended a seven-year playoff drought, qualifying for the post-season for the first time since 1996. The Flames defeated three division winners en-route to an...
playoff run. It gained world wide notoriety both for the relative lack of violence while upwards of 55 000 fans celebrated their team's success, as well as for the Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
-like atmosphere as societal norms were routinely flouted, particularly by women flashing
Indecent exposure
Indecent exposure is the deliberate exposure in public or in view of the general public by a person of a portion or portions of his or her body, in circumstances where the exposure is contrary to local moral or other standards of appropriate behavior. Indecent exposure laws vary in different...
their breasts. The 'Red' originates from the home team colour of the Calgary Flames' jerseys, red, similarly characterized by the 'Sea of Red' seen at many home games in the Saddledome; 'Sea of Red' and 'C of Red' (for the Flames' flaming C) is a play on words.
Electric Avenue
The predecessor to the Red Mile was a bar strip on 11th Avenue S.W. known as Electric Avenue, where thousands of Flames fans celebrated during the 1986 and 1989 playoff runs. 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.2004 Stanley Cup playoffs
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Stanley Cup playoffs since 1996. The Red Mile's beginnings were relatively humble, and consisted of people driving down the Red Mile honking and waving flags, as people walked the streets cheering and clapping hands. Several thousand fans went to bars along 17th Avenue S.W. to watch the Flames on the road against the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
in the first round, and also to watch the team play at the nearby Pengrowth Saddledome
Pengrowth Saddledome
The Scotiabank Saddledome is the primary indoor arena of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has a seating capacity of 19,289 people.Located on the Stampede Grounds, on the east end of downtown Calgary, the Saddledome was built in 1983 to replace the Stampede Corral as the home of the Calgary Flames of...
for home games. When the Flames eliminated the Canucks in the seventh and deciding game by Martin Gelinas
Martin Gelinas
Martin Gélinas is a former professional ice hockey forward and the current director of player development with the Nashville Predators.-Playing career:Gelinas made a splash in 1987–88 with the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL with a 63-goal, 131-point campaign...
' overtime goal, fans flooded the streets in a relatively spontaneous party celebrating the Flames first playoff series victory since the 1989 Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
final against the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. 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.
As the Flames progressed through the subsequent playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
, the popularity of the Red Mile continued to grow, and along with it the party atmosphere. By the time of the seventh game of the Stanley Cup final against Tampa, the city was expecting over 100,000 people would flood the area if the Flames were to win the Cup. This, however, was not to be as the Lightning defeated the Flames in Game 7, 2-1.
Celebration or exploitation?
Miikka Kiprusoff
Miikka Sakari Kiprusoff is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He was selected in the fifth round, 116th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He has also played for TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga...
". The growing amount of nudity led to the creation of the controversial flamesgirls.com website that featured hundreds of photos of women flashing the crowd.
The website, and the growing number of revelers with cameras in hand intent only on snapping photos of topless women caused critics to condemn it as little more than the exploitation of women. This argument was supported when the producers of the Girls Gone Wild
Girls Gone Wild
The Girls Gone Wild franchise, created by Joe Francis, is a video series by the production company Mantra Films, Inc., which is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.-Content:...
pornography series came to Calgary in the summer of 2005 looking for material for its series.
However, University of Calgary
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
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", and that many women did not feel that their actions were sexual in nature, but rather a part of the party.
Police presence
The city began closing off 17th Avenue S.W. to all vehicle traffic and enforcing strict parking laws from 15:30 to 00:00 every game day. The police presence included scores of police officers involved in keeping everything under control through patrols down the street, standing in lines along the street, forming circles of officers in intersections, officers on bicycles, a number of police cars, and the police helicopter, HAWC1.Despite the police presence, there were very few incidents involving police. For example, someone witnessed a drunken fan carrying open alcohol get pushed into a group of police officers, however the police officers simply confiscated the alcohol and then sent the person on their way. The attitude of the police officers seems to discourage people from committing violent acts.
Some people even suggest a few officers have participated in some celebrations while on duty. To what extent is unknown, however it is common for fans to chat in a friendly manner with the police, and for officers to occasionally shout things such as "go Flames". It is unknown what the internal policies of the police service are on officers participating with fans.
2006 controversy
Complaints about the noise and traffic tie-ups by some area businesses and residents led to the Calgary PoliceCalgary Police Service
Calgary Police Service, formed in 1885, is the municipal police force for the City of Calgary, Alberta.- Organization :Founded in 1885, the current head of the CPS is Chief Rick Hanson...
proposing to severely limit or shut down the Red Mile entirely for the 2006 playoffs. Police announced a zero-tolerance policy on jaywalking
Jaywalking
Jaywalking is an informal term commonly used in North America to refer to illegal or reckless pedestrian crossing of a roadway. Examples include a pedestrian crossing between intersections without yielding to drivers and starting to cross a crosswalk at a signalized intersection without waiting...
, public drunkenness and public nudity.
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. handing out nearly 500 tickets during their crackdown. Police justified the crackdown arguing that while there was a notable lack of violence in 2004, the potential remains high in such situations. The time and cost to police during was also a concern. As many as 300 officers patrolled the Red Mile, including the police helicopter, at a cost of over $1 million. 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. The game was the final game of the regular season for both teams.
The police crackdown has divided the community, as many fans found it excessive and even oppressive. A protest rally was organized, though fewer than two dozen people actually attended.
Despite their attempts, police were unable to stop fans from overwhelming the street following the Flames 2–1 overtime victory in the first game of the 2006 playoffs, as over 10,000 fans packed the Red Mile. No major incidents were reported. 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. One officer suffered a cut, and 12 people were arrested for various offenses.
"Blue Mile/Copper Kilometer"
Following the Edmonton OilersEdmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
upset victory over the Red Wings in the first round of the 2006 playoffs, several thousand fans flocked to Whyte Avenue in Edmonton, Alberta. Local media labeled it the "Blue Mile" or the "Copper Kilometer", since it closely resembled the events which took place on the Red Mile. There were incidents of violence, including 2 stabbings in Edmonton. The Oilers success has similarly spawned a website similar to flamesgirls.com called The Blue Mile.
Unlike Calgary's Red Mile, Whyte Avenue in Edmonton gained national attention for its level of violence in May 2006; so much so that the mayor of Edmonton, Stephen Mandel
Stephen Mandel
Stephen Mandel is a Canadian politician and the current mayor of Edmonton, Alberta.-Biography:Mandel received an Associate of Arts Degree from Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Miami University, and his Masters in Political Science from...
threatened to close down the strip: "I hope this doesn't come down to having to shut down Whyte completely ... but this will not be tolerated going into the final series.". In the celebrations following the Oilers advancement into the Stanley Cup finals, 15 people were arrested after several windows were smashed and at least nine garbage fires were set.