Santa-Mike

Rave2grave :

Are you in it for the music or the rebellion? Above ground means more and better DJ's can be brought in... larger scene with more venues available for use... bigger variety.

~ mike ~

rave2grave

But on the other side I am happy
that the vote was a victory
and hope we have no more problems with the politicians
man POliTICS suK...
:0
peace

Preskool

i love my twin sister marla! hehe

youre greatt

mwah

well its good to see raves arent being banned, but i would of liked a break

jks, ill break on my own

-=Erynn=-

GEiKo

.....i-dance.....an annual event??

GEiKo

Paroxyzm

***analyze***
***scrutinize***
.............................................
............................................
...........................................
..........................................
.........................................
..........................analysis complete

Good work William Chang
and much appreciation is due for Councillor Chow.

zoo

iDance 2001 next year !
yeah yeah !!
can anyone say WATER CREW part 2 ?
*new and improved .. with splash guards*
;0)

Munchkin

Wow dat makes me sooooo happy!!!!!!!!

and dang I-dance an annual event!!! good stuff

Munchkin

Rail Grinder

50-4!?!?!

i-dance annual?! *splurt* AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! . . . omg!!! *orgasms like a virgin nun* . . .

yay!!!! now we can all get bottles and hit each other over our heads!!! . . . hehehehee . . .

thanks Will, thanks Olivia, thanks Kim, thanks Alex, thanks EVERYONE!!!!

so what's all those councillor's e-mail's and all? . . . gunna t hank 'em all individually . . .

Anthony

Will

I dunno where u goin, sun rules buddy.

Syphon

If To can have a jazz festival, and a carribean music festival, then it is only right to have something in support of another of it's major musical influences... but lets keep it free. I think the thing that made I-dance special was that it was truly a party for partiers... I mean, there wasn't the usual bitchin about ticket prices or venue selection... I truly hope that the world supports this event, djs like Bad Boy Bill, Derrik Carter, etc spinning simply for the pleasure of spinning for a grateful audience... This is a great moment for rave culture in Toronto, I hope everyone appreciates the effort that went into making this all happen, because it was done for us... Toronto promoted diversity in it's Olympic bid slogans, this is undoubtably a diverse part of Toronto......

I do have one sujestion for next year, albeit this is early... make it all day, say starting at noon ending at midnight (I don't know the logistic behind this however), and us more Canadian talent as well as international.. ie s4, SOS, D-Minus, etc...

Oh well, I'm very happy about this result, maybe the media will lay off now...

Jeff

TraNceAhoLic

CHEER BEAR

I agree I want to kick that fucker in the head for many, many reasons

Not just raves

He is a fukin idiot who acts smart, BUT DOESNT HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA

no joke,

and he tried to pass a legislation yesterday to impose a curfew on kids

evry1,including the councilors just laughed at him though

hes afukin mororn with no brain and even his own coleagues realize this

if u live in his area VOTE HIM OUT!!!!!!!!!!

or threaten him with violence so he resigns

Later,
Brian

Ms. Fit

i bet Lastman and his bitch Fantino are feelin' quite the fools now....muahahahaha

i'm so impressed by how everyone came together and FOUGHT this bullshit!

*sigh* i feel plur-y all over

Melissa

Cosmicboi

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Klubmasta Will:
3. clarity was added to the police portion of the protocol. now, police have to use "past historical practices" as a guideline in determining numbers of PDOs. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

maybe it's just me, but this sort of worries me...

what happens when a first time promoter approaches the police? they dont have any "past historical practices" as a guideline..

does this mean that they may assign a higer number of PDOs? ..(it seems logical)

because if this *is* the case, then a lot of would-be-promoters might not have the resources to fund a party..

toronto's scene is great because of the diversity..and its ability to constantly change...new promoters pop up all the time and add vitality to our scene..

i'd hate to see that go
....

but all in all, this is great news
we stuck with it...and here we are

nick
ps: cant we get past the name calling now? we won! thats all that matters

*not gloating*


[This message has been edited by Cosmicboi (edited August 04, 2000).]

~Lesslyn~

65 days till the next Hullabaloo!!??! hehe..*eek*

This makes me a very happy girl!


~Leslie~

candE kid

WE DID IT!!! numbers is equal to power, we were hoping to convince city council by numbers, and it worked! *jumps for joy* everybody, i think we deserve a pat on our backs, and also, a special pat on the back for Will, Councilor Chow, Councilor Nunziata, P3, TRIP, Kim and everybody else who spent most of their time on this, we need to treat u guys to lunch...lol.

and about Councillor Mamolitti ...don't even get me started on him when i was watching city council on tv today, and when he making his useless "speech"...i felt like going rite to City Hall and 1) bitch slap him and 2) tell him what it really is about. omigawd...and no body mentioned Councilor Jakebek (sp?)...they were both idiots and should have never even gotten into politics for that matter. oh yeah...MY councilor...Councilor Shaw, she's an ignorant woman...i swear, she didn't even show up at the debate in May, and there she is saying how "raves are bad" and bullshit like that. makes me mad to think she was elected for my area. i'm making sure that she doesn't run again in politics and for that matter, make her get deported outta this country...lol *schemes a plan to deport Councilor Shaw*

anyways...all i can say is: WORK!!!

Kornflake~Girl

Will the meaning behind IDance change in the years to come? I hope no one forgets why we had an IDance in the first place. Plus I don't think any future IDance will top the first one.

Things Unclear to me:
Is the 16+ being inforced? It doesnt affect me personally, but I remeber there was talk about steps being taken for this.
Thats about it, I guess.

"Be greatful for what you have for you never know how long you will have it for"

DJ Wolf

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kornflake~Girl:
Is the 16+ being inforced? It doesnt affect me personally, but I remeber there was talk about steps being taken for this.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I heard a section of an interview with Will on the radio yesterday where he was saying that the 16+ rule is simply a guideline that promotors will be urged to follow, however it is left up to them to decide to do this or not... since it is un-enforceable.

--Jeff

Klubmasta Will

August 4, 2000

Raves will be allowed again on city property
'Law-abiding citizens': Protocol calls for free drinking water, age limit

Robert Benzie
National Post

City councillors yesterday voted 50-4 to allow raves at municipal facilities, but it took five hours of debate over two days to do so.

Perhaps aware that the penultimate meeting before the November election was being broadcast live, councillor after councillor hailed the end of a prohibition on the all-night dances in city-owned buildings.

"[Ravers] are law-abiding citizens who want to do what we did when we were kids," enthused Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, a High Park councillor.

Politicians opted to allow the parties -- which have been tainted by widespread use of Ecstacy -- but participants must be at least 16 years old.

The new protocol also requires that free drinking water be provided.

In a victory for the rave lobby, City Hall did not impose any requirements on how many pay-duty police officers should be hired for each party.

Will Chang, a lawyer and rave proponent, said the fact that the number of officers needed for each dance will be determined on an event by event basis -- and that the police must justify their staffing -- was "a great thing."

"This exceeded our expectations," said Mr. Chang, who organized Tuesday's successful iDance Rally urging council to lift the rave suspension that has been in place since May.

Olivia Chow, a Downtown councillor, praised the ravers for peacefully demonstrating to achieve their goals.

"They worked within the system and the system didn't fail them," said Ms. Chow.

Julian Fantino, the chief of Toronto police, said he was "quite satisfied" with the new protocol, adding his safety concerns were allayed.

In other business, council also approved a $50,000 program to pay for guns handed in by citizens in October.

Under the terms of the firearm amnesty, residents would be paid $50 for each weapon they turn in.

Klubmasta Will

New dawn for ravers as deal reached on Toronto venues

JAMES RUSK
Municipal Affairs Reporter
The Globe and Mail
Friday, August 4, 2000

Toronto -- Council reopened city property for raves yesterday, while finding a way to defuse the growing tension between the rave community and police.

A compromise on policing, which restricts police from making arbitrary decisions on the number of officers at each all-night party, was the key provision in a new set of rules for raves on city property passed in a 50-to-4 vote yesterday.

The new protocol requires police to account for the number of officers by referring to numbers at previous raves and making a written submission with reasons for the staffing decisions.

The city and the rave community have been trying to find a set of rules that would again allow raves on city property. The sticking issue was the level of policing. Promoters wanted a fixed ratio of one officer to each 500 rave-goers, but police took the position that the number of officers is an operational decision.

This did not satisfy promoters fearful that the police would use their power to demand levels of policing that would break their budgets and drive them underground.

Police Chief Julian Fantino told reporters yesterday that he is happy with the new rules. "I'm quite satisfied that a balanced, fair and proper outcome has been achieved," he said.

"Hopefully, everyone will come together to ensure these events will be done in a safe environment. And that means not only for the young people involved, but also . . . our police officers and . . . parents. And I think the promoters should be proud they can engage in lawful enterprise and do it in a safe environment."

Will Chang, a lawyer with the Toronto Dance Safety Committee, said he is happy with the changes to the police portion of the protocol. "That does add clarity. That does add some aspect of accountability to the paid-duty officer procedure, and we're thrilled with that," Mr. Chang said.

"That's really all we want. We want to make sure their discretion is fettered somehow; that is, there is some kind of review process for it. And we got that today."

He noted that at raves at the Canadian National Exhibition, the city-owned location where raves have been held, the ratio of police to dancers has run from one officer for every 500 rave-goers to one per 1,200.

In May, after the police chief reported that there was a high level of drug use at raves, the council banned them at city-owned venues.

Within weeks, a coroner's jury investigating a drug-related death at an underground rave recommended that they be allowed on city property where safety could more easily be monitored.

Klubmasta Will

August 4, 2000

Council lifts ban on raves
Fantino endorses tough new rules

By Katherine Harding
Toronto Star Staff Reporter

Rave on.

Toronto City Council has overwhelmingly supported a motion to establish tough new rules for rave parties on city-owned property.

Yesterday's 50-4 vote also lifted the city's three-month-old ban on raves on municipal property.

Rave promoters will have to:

- Provide ambulance workers and police officers at events.

- Pay a $2,500 emergency medical services deposit.

- Not use drug language or pictures on event advertisements.

``Nobody here wants to stop people from dancing,'' Mayor Mel Lastman said during the five-hour debate that dragged on over two days. ``We just want everyone to get home safely.''

Promoters will also be subjected to a strict police protocol before staging an event that includes risk assessment, site inspections, background checks for party organizers and arrangements for hiring paid-duty officers and licensed security.

Rave promoters were initially worried the provision for hiring paid-duty officers wasn't clear enough and was only meant to drive them out of business.

Most councillors agreed during yesterday's debate and they included rules that require police to follow ``historical practices'' of assigning paid-duty officers to events.

``We are very happy with the additions that were made to the police portion of the protocol,'' said rave advocate Will Chang of the Toronto Dance Safety Committee.

``It's added clarity. It's added accountability. And it's something rave promoters can work with.''

He said he plans to meet with Toronto rave promoters to go over the new rules.

Chang also hopes Toronto's intervention into the workings of the popular rave scene will make other Canadian cities follow suit.

Police Chief Julian Fantino is also happy with the city's new rave rules. ``A good thing has happened,'' he said. ``It's a fair balance, reasonable approach. Hopefully, everyone will come together to ensure these events are done in a safe environment.''

Asked by reporters what he thinks about allowing all-night parties on municipal property, despite the fact drugs like ecstasy are used, he said: ``I've approached this strictly from my mandate as police chief. . . . If I was to moralize on a personal basis, I'd probably be saying a lot more.''

He's optimistic though that the recent discussion on rave culture has woken the public up to the ``serious'' drug problem associated with it.

The four councillors who rejected the city's new rave rules were vocal in their opposition.

``You heard from the police department that 80 per cent of the people who attend raves are high on a substance and you want to as councillors allow them on city property to get high,'' George Mammoliti (North York Humber) said. ``You're turning away your heads to the problem.''

After the vote Mammoliti couldn't hide his disappointment. ``I think that council has made a huge error and I think we're in for a number of lawsuits and I hope I'm not in a position to say `I told you so' when somebody dies on city property.''

The other councillors who opposed the motion were Tom Jakobek (East Toronto), Ron Moeser (Scarborough Highland Creek) and Sherene Shaw (Scarborough Agincourt).

Councillor Olivia Chow (Downtown), a prominent supporter of the motion, said the process taken in establishing the rules was an excellent example of council working with its young constituents.

``What is happening is young people are saying to the city, `We care, we want to take responsibility, we respect city government.' They made a difference, they persuaded councillors that they want to work with us, rather than having us work against them.''

City council banned raves from city-owned property in May after there were 24 drug arrests at an Exhibition Place event where 54 police officers and 97 security guards watched over 8,100 revellers.

A ban was advocated by Fantino who said 80 per cent of people there were using drugs.

In June, an inquest into the death of Ryerson student Allen Ho, 21, at a rave last October recommended city council allow raves on municipal property to ensure public safety.

Klubmasta Will

Friday, August 4, 2000
Raves back in business

By BRAD HONYWILL, CITY HALL BUREAU
The Toronto Sun

The city will again provide space for all-night dance raves.

Council voted 50-4 yesterday to lift a three-month-old ban after agreeing to guidelines designed to curb drug problems.

Until the ban this spring, the biggest raves in the city -- attracting more than 10,000 young people -- had been held in city-owned venues like the Better Living Centre at Exhibition Place.

Police laid 95 drug-related charges at the past two raves on city property and there have been three Ecstasy-related deaths at Toronto raves during the past two years.

Opponents of the decision said council is making a wrong turn. Those in favour said it's better to provide space for raves on public property where they can be regulated rather than send the parties underground.

The new guidelines require rave promoters to submit their applications to Toronto Ambulance and police to determine the number of emergency personnel and ambulances required. A guideline urges the police to meet the historical number of one paid-duty cop per 500-1,200 patrons at an event.

Promoters must also supply free water and restrict attendance to patrons aged 16 or older.

Klubmasta Will

don't freak out when you read those articles. many of the provisions in the protocol (like the $2,500 emergency services deposit and the ban on drug imagery) only apply to parties being held at *city-owned venues*.

nothing in the protocol calls for a 16 year old age limit (all of the reporters got this information from the same uninformed source). it is possible, however, that the CNE will impose an age restriction when it signs contracts with promoters.

Klubmasta Will