Publication title: Edmonton Journal
Pages: B7
Section: City
Publication date: May 12, 2000
ProQuest document ID: 252787974
Copyright: Copyright Southam Publications Inc. May 12, 2000
Author: Mullen, Conal
Abstract:
A rave planned for this weekend on the [Enoch] reserve will be moved to a secret location in Edmonton, after a presentation from RCMP prompted the band to opt out of the event.
RCMP Cpl. Amrik Virk from Stony Plain said RCMP members with research on raves attended the meeting.
Rave organizer Gary Dewhurst, owner of HB Promotions, said pressure from RCMP prompted the change of venue.
Full text:
A rave planned for this weekend on the Enoch reserve will be moved to a secret location in Edmonton, after a presentation from RCMP prompted the band to opt out of the event.
Chief Ron Morin said the rave was dropped after a meeting Thursday where elders and senior management, who were worried about use of the drug ecstacy, asked council to reconsider.
RCMP Cpl. Amrik Virk from Stony Plain said RCMP members with research on raves attended the meeting.
"We presented information to the band and council on raves so they could be more enlightened and make a more informed decision," Virk said.
Morin said zero tolerance on drugs or alcohol would have been strictly enforced at Saturday's rave.
"But it still wasn't acceptable to the people."
He said it's ironic that high school grads, weddings and the bar scene seem to be acceptable. "Yet you have more deaths at all of those and carnage at the end of it from drinking and driving ... than you do at raves. But it seems the raves are highlighted."
Rave organizer Gary Dewhurst, owner of HB Promotions, said pressure from RCMP prompted the change of venue.
"I've been fighting Stony Plain RCMP for two weeks," Dewhurst said. "Then they took it to the media."
He said the Enoch band doesn't want the publicity on the reserve, and he agreed with them and will move the event.
"It was a mutual agreement."
Dewhurst said he's keeping the new venue secret because it holds fewer than 800 people, and he doesn't want 4,000 showing up unexpectedly Saturday night.
He said no drugs or alcohol will be allowed.
Dewhurst said many young people go to raves because they don't want to deal with regular bars and the risks involved.
Morin said when raves were banned in Toronto they simply went underground.
"They're still happening. And they're still going to happen in Edmonton," he said.
"So I don't know if we resolved anything today by not allowing a spotlight to be on it, and trying to make everybody more accountable, more responsible."
Chief Ron Morin said the rave was dropped after a meeting Thursday where elders and senior management, who were worried about use of the drug ecstacy, asked council to reconsider.
RCMP Cpl. Amrik Virk from Stony Plain said RCMP members with research on raves attended the meeting.
"We presented information to the band and council on raves so they could be more enlightened and make a more informed decision," Virk said.
Morin said zero tolerance on drugs or alcohol would have been strictly enforced at Saturday's rave.
"But it still wasn't acceptable to the people."
He said it's ironic that high school grads, weddings and the bar scene seem to be acceptable. "Yet you have more deaths at all of those and carnage at the end of it from drinking and driving ... than you do at raves. But it seems the raves are highlighted."
Rave organizer Gary Dewhurst, owner of HB Promotions, said pressure from RCMP prompted the change of venue.
"I've been fighting Stony Plain RCMP for two weeks," Dewhurst said. "Then they took it to the media."
He said the Enoch band doesn't want the publicity on the reserve, and he agreed with them and will move the event.
"It was a mutual agreement."
Dewhurst said he's keeping the new venue secret because it holds fewer than 800 people, and he doesn't want 4,000 showing up unexpectedly Saturday night.
He said no drugs or alcohol will be allowed.
Dewhurst said many young people go to raves because they don't want to deal with regular bars and the risks involved.
Morin said when raves were banned in Toronto they simply went underground.
"They're still happening. And they're still going to happen in Edmonton," he said.
"So I don't know if we resolved anything today by not allowing a spotlight to be on it, and trying to make everybody more accountable, more responsible."
No comments:
Post a Comment