Moose Jaw dance studio owner who feuded with Burton Cummings pleads guilty to 1 noise charge

The owner of Dance Fitness with Kyra in Moose Jaw has been ordered to pay a fine after pleading guilty to one noise violation.

Kyra Klassen initially faced eight charges, but seven of them were withdrawn in Moose Jaw provincial court on April 18. Klassen must pay a fine of $150 and a surcharge of $50.

The charges against her became public last month when it was revealed that Burton Cummings, former lead singer for The Guess Who, called city police on several occasions to complain about noise coming from the studio.

Cummings lives in a loft in the building next door to Dance Fitness with Kyra's location on High Street. Klassen said he once entered the studio during classes and confronted her about the noise level.

Klassen has since announced that her studio will be moving. The business will remain in Moose Jaw, but at a new location at 244 River St. W.

"We are excited to be going forward and starting fresh, getting back to what we love to do: lead, motivate, inspire and help people on their fitness journeys," said Klassen in a message to CBC.

Moose Jaw Mayor Fraser Tolmie previously told CBC that city administration began working on a plan to seek public input on the noise bylaw following the complaints. He said Cummings' high profile was not the reason changes were considered.

"It's unfortunate that the situation escalated this far, however I'm confident the city will correct and find the holes in their bylaw so that no other business has to go through what I did," Klassen said.

According to Klassen, the ordeal has cost her well over $15,000 in lawyer fees, studio improvements and moving costs.

She said pleading guilty allows her to move on.

"Although we were confident in our case, running eight trials would have been financially detrimental to my small business. So I decided to take the plea bargain," Klassen said.

"My team and I are excited to get back to our classes and serving our community."