To rave, or not to rave

Board, city ponder the question

Publication title: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Publication date: April 6, 2000
Document type: Article
Article author(s): Doug Beazley and Maria Mcclintock
Transcribed by: MW

The Northlands board seems to favour raves, but the guy who runs the place thinks maybe anxious parents should be able to watch their kids dance and sweat in safety.

A straw poll of Northlands' executive committee suggests most of the board of directors is leaning toward allowing raves to take place on the premises in the future.

“Young people are going to do these things," said board member and city Coun. Leroy Chahley.

“When I was young it was bush parties and it was booze. And that can cause just as many problems as some other drugs, especially when somebody's driving.”

Northlands is reviewing its rave policy in the wake of its recent Ascension 2000 rave event, which saw eight kids taken to hospital with what cops art calling drug-related seizures.

Northlands general manager Ken Knowles, meanwhile, said he thinks the board may require some new precautions for its next massive dance party - like a glassed-in observation room so parents can make sure their kids aren't popping street drugs like the stimulant ecstasy.

No way, says Keith Rubuliak, the promoter behind Ascension 2000. He said inviting parents to a youth culture event like a rave would drain all the cool out of it.

“Not a chance in hell,” he said. “This is some kind of joke.”

"This isn't a Ricky Martin concert. We're willing to take precautions like security and paramedics. But we can’t lose the essence of these events."

Meanwhile, about 30 ravers who wanted to address a city committee yesterday have been put off for two weeks.

“I’m very upset. I travelled an hour to get my word in on the issue,” said Christie Rutledge, 18, of Legal.

Rutledge was one of an estimated 4,700 people in attendance at a weekend rave where eight people collapsed. But the teens argue things happen in all venues, not just raves.

“There's problems in everything we do. In every situation, like at bars, people drink and there's bar fights. At raves some people do drugs and some people can’t handle it. It’s not the majority of us, it’s only some people,” added Rutledge.

Many of the kids said security at Ascension 2000 was good. Oliver Salvador, whose company provided the training for the security team, blamed the city, police and Northlands for not being better prepared to deal with the large crowd.