Rave was safe

Only minor ailments at Carnival dance

Publication title: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Publication date: May 23, 2000
Document type: Article
Article author: Doug Beazley
Transcribed by: MW



Migraines, bellyaches and blisters - that was about as grisly as things got at Edmonton's latest all-night dance rave, and the promoter is holding it up as proof tile scene can keep its liabilities low and profits high.

An estimated 2,500 to 3,000 ravers swarmed the dance-floor at the Northlands Sportex from Sunday night to yesterday morning for Carnival, the first rave event since the trouble-marred Ascension 2000 party last month.

And by all accounts, the rave went off without a hitch. Organizers report no drug related maladies and only minor ailments. '

“There was one girl who had some sort of allergic reaction - not drug-related,” said Northlands spokesman Cheryl Herchen, who hung around the rave until 6 a.m. yesterday.

“The nurses reported blisters, a few headaches, stomach aches. It ran as smoothly as we could have expected."

“It was perfect,” said Mike Peebles, raver and spokesman for Ravesafe, a city group that distributes drug information at rave parties. He attended Carnival.

“I haven't seen a party that well-organized in a long while.”

This rave came on the heels of one that brought demands for greater controls on the events. The Ascension rave saw at least a half-dozen dancers collapse on the floor. The organizer blamed seizures induced by strobe lighting; police said the dancers were wired on the street drug ecstasy.

After Ascension, Northlands officials told the promoter Keith Rubuliak that they would review their policy of hosting raves.

'This was pretty much a test run for us," said Nexus head Nick Delgado. "It was an 18-plus event, zero drug tolerance. There might have been two drug arrests, I'm not sure."

Nexus, city police and Northlands worked up a security plan together for the event. Eight to ten off-duty cops and 40 private security guards were on hand.

To prevent the long lineups that vexed Ascension, the doors were opened to ticket holders at 6 p.m. Sunday, two hours before the DJ took the stage.

Mayor Bill Smith said he was glad to see Nexus avoid the overcrowding problem that troubled Ascension, but added the city isn’t ruling out a bylaw to regulate raves.

“We’ll monitor the situation,” he said.






Photo Caption: Partygoers dance during Carnival, a rave at the Northlands Sportex which ended early yesterday.