Band votes to cancel Enoch rave

Publication title: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Publication date: May 12, 2000
Document type: News
Article author: Kim Bradley
Transcribed by: MW

Soother-sucking, glowstick-toting ravers are being asked to stay away from the Enoch reserve after the band voted not to host an all-night dance party tomorrow on their land.

“The people have spoken and they don’t want it out here, so we are asking the ravers to please stay away,” Enoch Cree Nation acting Chief Blair Morin said yesterday.

“It was the connotations of drug use that swayed the members here to vote against hosting this event. It started off as a fairly innocent fund-raising idea that got way out of hand.”

The band called an emergency meeting with promoter Gary Dewhurst of HB Promotions yesterday to talk about the community’s concerns. About 80 band members, RCMP and the band council showed up to debate the issue.

The band voted against holding the party even though the promoter met all concerns about security, crowd control, and safety, Morin said from the reserve just west of Edmonton.

“We just couldn’t risk any trouble,” he said.

Although he was disappointed in the band’s decision, Dewhurst said it was probably for the best. The hype would have attracted a crowd of people he didn’t want at the rave, he said.

Dewhurst has moved the rave to a smaller city venue and is only releasing the address to ticketholders before it starts. “I could have done very well and made a lot of money, but maybe it’s better things worked out this way,” he said. “I want a low-profile event for the ravers who know what it’s about.”

The all-night dance parties have come under fire since eight adults suffered drug-related seizures during a rave at the Northlands Sportex April 1, attended by 5,000 people.

The venue is hosting another event May 21, but this time all the bases are covered, said Northlands spokesman Cheryl Herchen.

This time the promoters will only sell 3,500 tickets through Ticketmaster, will open the doors two hours early to prevent lineups and will only let in people over age 18.

Officials from Capital Health, Alberta Labour and the fire marshal will be on hand to observe, said Herchen.

“These parties are here to stay so it’s better we work with the community to make them safe for everyone,” she said.

Const. Rick Abbott and Const. Grant Jongejan, rave experts who work the Jasper Avenue beat where many permanent rave clubs are located, explained the dangers of raves at a crime prevention symposium yesterday.

Ravers decked out in textured clothing, carrying pacifiers and light sticks, flock to raves to dance all night to pumping electronic music spun by famous DJs, said Jongejan.

But along with the rave culture comes drug use, most commonly the designer-drug Ecstasy, Abbott said.