SUPPORTS ITEM NO. 2
CS&B COMMITTEE AGENDA
FEBRUARY 29, 1996
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: February 13, 1996
File No. 3504-1
TO: Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services
SUBJECT: Approval of 1996 Special Events
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT the Special Events in Appendix A be approved, subject
to staff working out acceptable arrangements with the event
organizers.
B. THAT the Khalsa Diwan Society use the same parade route as
1995, keeping the stop at 51st Avenue to twenty minutes.
C. THAT the Khalsa Diwan Society, in consultation with City
staff undertake a major review of the Parade including the
objective of the Parade, the route, and the speeches, noting
that the size of the Parade exceeds the ability of the
street to accommodate the speeches.
CONSIDERATION
D. THAT Council will consider approving the lengthy closure of
major streets to accommodate street fair-type events.
COUNCIL POLICY
The F.E.S.T. Committee will obtain Council approval for the
anticipated Special Events for the coming year and for Council's
information show the events in the West End separately.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to submit for Council approval the list
of anticipated special events to be held in 1996 and to identify
issues about specific events on which staff need direction. The
Molson Indy and Benson Hedges Inc. Symphony of Fire have been
previously approved by Council.
DISCUSSION
Appendix A contains the list of 133 Special Events which are
anticipated in the City this year and which staff recommend be
approved. Appendix B highlights the West End events.
KHALSA DIWAN PARADE
The Khalsa Diwan Society holds an annual parade, generally on Easter
Saturday. The parade includes a few floats but is mainly comprised of
thousands of participants who walk from the Temple at Marine and Ross
to the Punjabi Market via Main (to 49th Avenue) and return via 49th
and Fraser (see route map attached as Appendix C).
The parade has historically stopped in the Punjabi Market for
speeches. The crowd size in the Market area is now approaching the
order of 20,000 people. The traffic and transit diversion to
accommodate the parade and speeches is significant and so it has
always been recommended that the speeches be kept to about 20 minutes.
However, they always last more than an hour.
In early 1995, the Society requested they be allowed to hold their
speeches at Sunset Park, two blocks to the east. This would require
diverting the Parade off of Main at 53rd Avenue. There was
insufficient time to review this request in detail and so the Parade
route stayed on Main Street. It was agreed the request to divert the
Parade to Sunset Park would be reviewed for 1996.
Technically, it is possible to divert the Parade over to Sunset Park.
With some modifications to a fence, there is sufficient room to
accommodate the 20,000 people. However, 53rd Avenue and other local
streets in the area are narrow and so the impact on the adjacent
residents would be significant for the duration the parade is at
Sunset Park.
As a result of the impact re-routing the Parade to Sunset would have
on the local neighbourhood and the opposition of the residents to the
proposed re-route, staff are recommending the Parade be kept on the
usual route (Main and 49th Avenue) for 1996.
The Parade size now exceeds the ability of the street to accommodate
the speeches. The crowd around the stages (there are two, to
accommodate speeches by the Society and the Punjabi Market) is very
large and safety of the participants, especially the young and
elderly, is becoming a concern. If the Society wishes to continue to
have speeches, they should be held in an area large enough and with
the facilities to safely accommodate them.
On February 5, 1996, the Park Board met and voted to not support the
use of Sunset Park for the Parade and Speeches. In addition, the Park
Board recommended the FEST Committee continue to explore other parade
route options for 1997. Staff recommend a major review of the Parade
be undertaken by the Khalsa Diwan Society with a view to finding
another route, possibly outside the City of Vancouver. Further, that
after this year's parade Council only approve future parades if an
acceptable off-street site is found for speeches or that if no off-
street site is found, then no speeches be allowed.
CITY 96
Vancouver is hosting the eleventh International Conference on AIDS,
July 7th-12th, 1996. A committee unassociated with the conference is
proposing to hold a street fair called City 96. The event, as
proposed, will require a full closure of Denman Street from 6:00 p.m.
to 12:00 p.m. from Barclay Street to Davie Street on Tuesday July 9,
1996.
The organizers want to create a streetscape reminiscent of a small
town street fair with vendors, street entertainers, food (provided by
local restaurants) art exhibits, information booths, community group
tents, interactive community theatre and so on. The FEST committee
has discussed this event once with the organizers and a number of
issues need to be resolved including local merchant support, emergency
access, neighbour-hood access, and transit re-routing, liquor sales,
etc.
Staff are not prepared to recommend approval of this event today as
too many issues remain unresolved. A separate report will be
submitted as soon as staff have enough information for Council to make
a decision.
At this time though, the FEST Committee is requesting guidance from
Council on the notion of fully closing important streets such as
Denman to accommodate events such as the one proposed. Previous
Councils have approved Greek Days, an event very similar in concept to
City 96. However, it has been some time since such an event has been
proposed. Given the amount of work that will be required by the event
organizer and staff on outstanding issues, it would be desirable for
Council to comment on the concept of closing the street.
SEA FESTIVAL
The Sea Festival Society is currently reviewing their event and have
expressed an interest in using Vanier Park and the area around the
Maritime Museum this year. The change in venue would alter the event
significantly as there would be no parade on Beach Ave and no impact
to the West End/English Bay Beach and Sunset Beach areas. The Park
Board staff are working out the details with the organizer.
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