Calgary cancels nudist swim after online uproar

CALGARY — The City of Calgary has cancelled a nudist swim at a public pool over security concerns.

James McLaughlin, acting director of Calgary Recreation, says the city conducted a thorough review and decided the volatile opinions about the event created a safety concern.

He says city facilities have hosted naturist swims for years without incident and the cancellation was not due to the nature of the activity, but solely because of security.

The Calgary Nude Recreation club had sold out tickets for a swim night on Sunday at the Southland Leisure Centre.

The club described the private, after-hours event on its Facebook page as a way of snubbing winter.

Word of the event sparked an online petition for the club to cancel the swim or to ban children from attending.