BBC Homepage
  • Skip to content
  • Accessibility Help
  • Your account
  • Notifications
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • More menu
More menu
Search BBC
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
Close menu
BBC News
Menu
  • Home
  • InDepth
  • Israel-Gaza war
  • War in Ukraine
  • Climate
  • UK
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Culture
More
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Health
  • Family & Education
  • In Pictures
  • Newsbeat
  • BBC Verify
  • Disability
  • BBC Trending

The nude pool party making waves in Canada

  • Published
    10 January 2018
Share page
About sharing
Woman's feet above surface of swimming poolImage source, Getty
Image caption,

Organisers deny children would be at risk

By Alex Dackevych
BBC Trending

Thousands have signed an online petition calling for a sold-out pool party in a Canadian leisure centre to be halted.

Why? Because it's a naked party which has been advertised as "all ages". The signatories are concerned that any children in attendance could be in danger. But the organisers of the event in Calgary say the petition shows a compete misunderstanding of nudist culture.

The change.org petition, external has attracted more than 18,000 signatures, expressing concern about the event due to take place on 14 January at the Southland Leisure Centre. It calls for the event to be cancelled or made "age appropriate" - in other words, for children to be banned. The publicity has caused the City of Calgary, which runs the leisure centre, to think twice about allowing the event to take place.

The event has been organised by a local naturist group, Calgary Nude Recreation. It has been advertised on the organisation's official Facebook page as well as on social media community site Meetup. It's listed as sold out and more than 180 people have indicated on social media that they plan to attend.

Facebook event for the 'Naked Water Slides and Wave Pool' party.

On their website, Calgary Nude Recreation describe themselves as being a "family friendly" group and state that they hope to make to the party a monthly event.

The site describes the organisation as "A group for like-minded people who enjoy being in their birthday suit! This group is family oriented and kid friendly and open to people of all ages, body types, all genders, sexual orientations, and anyone else in between."

'Could trigger mental illness'

It's the inclusion of children in this mission statement which prompted a woman called April Parker to start the petition against the event.

She is concerned that the the pool party could put children at risk of exploitation or abuse. The petition text claims that "sexual predators will be on the prowl."

Her petition adds: "Realistically there is a lot of mental illness out there that this event could trigger/effect."

Parker also expresses concerns of an "Extremely high chance of photos and videos being taken without consent, considered child pornography."

Comment on change.org petition

April Parker declined BBC Trending's request for an interview.

'Nudity does not equal sex'

When BBC Trending contacted the head of Calgary Nude Recreation - a man who goes by the pseudonym "Naked Jeff" who declined to give his real name - he denied that the event would put children at risk.

"The suggestions that it's not appropriate for kids implies there is something happening at nude events that isn't appropriate for children. Nothing could be further from the truth," he said in an email. "This is a non-sexual event. Nudity does not equal sex."

"There is an extremely high level of mutual respect at nude events between participants. There HAS to be. Hundreds of Calgarians... are excited to attend a future event because they recognize the safe space we are creating and want to be a part of that."

But it does seem that the petition and negative publicity may be putting the event in jeopardy. A spokesperson for the city of Calgary told Trending that authorities are reviewing the event "to ensure the privacy and security of participants can be maintained."

While a result is pending, Naked Jeff has taken to Facebook and added an all-caps statement to stress that it is his group and not the leisure centre which is staging the event: "NOTE: THIS IS A PRIVATE AFTER HOURS FUNCTION. THE SOUTHLAND LEISURE CENTRE IS NOT ORGANIZING THIS EVENT."

He has also updated the requirements of the event. First-time nudists were originally granted a grace period where they could wear clothes, but as a result of recent media attention, the group has ended this in order to prevent the curious from showing up just to ogle.

Counter-petition

And in another twist, a second petition has now been set up on Change.org. This one is in support of the event, and was created as a direct response to April Parker's original petition. It was started by Ben Moon, and is titled 'Shut Down the Petition to Shut Down the Nude Sliding Event', external. It currently has 4,000 signatures.

The description reads: "There's an upcoming event in Calgary that really concerns some people, who are apparently unaware that they have genitals under their clothes."

Blog by Alex Dackevych

Do you have a story for BBC Trending? Email us, external.

More from Trending: KFC parodies Trump with McDonald's jibe

Composite image of Kim Jong-un and Donald TrumpImage source, AFP

The rivalry between fast food giants has taken on a strange political twist: KFC has aped Donald Trump's message to Kim Jong-un, in an attempt to feud with McDonald's. READ MORE

You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, external, and find us on Facebook, external. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.

Top stories

  • Southport survivor fought to save others, says mum

    • Published
      6 hours ago
  • Starmer refuses to rule out freeze on tax thresholds

    • Published
      4 hours ago
  • Search for survivors after Houthis sink second Red Sea cargo ship in a week

    • Published
      1 hour ago

More to explore

  • Why do Channel migrants want to come to the UK?

    A child and three adult migrants walking along a beach
  • 'Lives are at stake:' Deadly Texas storms put spotlight on Trump's weather agency cuts

    Vehicles sit submerged as a search and rescue worker looks through debris for any survivors or remains of people swept up in the flash flooding in Texas.
  • After Diddy: Why hip-hop is still struggling to have its own 'MeToo' moment

    A treated image showing Sean 'Diddy' Combs in black and white as he performs on stage, with smoke coming across the image
  • 'You did it': How doctor realised mushroom cook was a killer

    Erin Patterson looks at the camera, in a grey jumper wearing black glasses. Her brown hair is down.
  • 'For once we will not be friends' - Miedema on facing Mead at Euro 2025

    • Attribution
      Sport
    Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead hugging
  • Russia's summer push in Ukraine targets three fronts but faces stern resistance

    Russian artillerymen target Ukrainian forces near the Dnipro river
  • Trump delays tariffs as the rest of the world plays hardball

    US President Donald Trump wearing a blue suit and a white cap with USA on it
  • Why small-time criminals burned a London warehouse for Russia's mercenary group Wagner

    Damage seen inside the industrial unit with the shutter up
  • Royal Watch: Get the latest royal stories and analysis with Sean Coughlan’s weekly newsletter

    Royal Watch logo
loading elsewhere stories

Most read

  1. 1

    Search for survivors after Houthis sink second Red Sea cargo ship in a week

  2. 2

    Millions of homeowners to see mortgage payments rise

  3. 3

    How an act of kindness put passer-by in path of killer driver at family dispute

  4. 4

    Why do Channel migrants want to come to the UK?

  5. 5

    Starmer refuses to rule out freeze on tax thresholds

  6. 6

    PC denies losing control in Manchester Airport brawl

  7. 7

    Southport survivor fought to save others, says mum

  8. 8

    'You did it': How doctor realised mushroom cook was a killer

  9. 9

    Met 'truly sorry' for distress to Al Fayed victims

  10. 10

    Bin lorry drivers face axe as strike talks fail

BBC News Services

  • On your mobile
  • On smart speakers
  • Get news alerts
  • Contact BBC News

Best of the BBC

  • Rockefeller: The contradictory billionaire

    • Attribution
      Sounds
    John D Rockefeller
  • Delve into the murky world of ticket touts

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Scams & Scandals: The Great Ticket Rip-Off
  • Snappy stand-up comedy from Suzi Ruffell

    • Attribution
      Sounds
    The Comedy Circuit: Suzi Ruffell
  • A classic studio concert by Oasis

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Later... with Jools Holland: Oasis
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • Terms of Use
  • About the BBC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility Help
  • Parental Guidance
  • Contact the BBC
  • Make an editorial complaint
  • BBC emails for you

Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.