Members of the downtown business community recently asked for a meeting with City Council to discuss the future of the Festival of Lights. The meeting took place last Tuesday evening with about 60 to 70 business operators attending, as well as representatives from Tourism Charlottetown Inc., the agency that produces the festival. Council heard one passionate plea after another, asking us not to tinker with the festival formula. Most of those in attendance are hotel/motel/bar/restaurant operators, with some retailers, and a few service companies. Everyone spoke about the importance of the festival to their business, some going so far as to claim without the festival they would seize to exist. Problems were recognized, but we were urged to deal with them rather than doing the unthinkable such as moving the festival out of the downtown core, or heaven forbid, ending it altogether. I sensed a real fear that council was about to do something drastic.
TCI presented a bulleted list of “solutions” that are intended to reduce the kinds of problems that are re-occurring each year. Number one on that list is to “aggressively advance” the development of a new venue for the festival concerts in the downtown, namely the old Imperial Oil tank farm land at the base of the Hillsborough Bridge (“This location satifies the needs of the business community while moving the festival further away from residents”). Other items dealt with security, transportation, garbage clean up, and alcohol. It was proposed that no alcohol be served on the concert grounds on Canada Day.
Next Tuesday, July 22nd at 7:30pm Council will meet with downtown residents at City Hall about this issue. The meeting was requested by specific residents, but it is a public forum closed meeting* and I believe the word has travelled quickly through the downtown neighbourhoods. I expect another large crowd — perhaps larger than council chambers can comfortably handle — and I’m certain we will hear drastically different opinions about the festival than we did this week.
*UPDATE (July 21st): Just received word from City Hall that this is a closed meeting.
It goes with out saying that, with tourism continuing to plummet, the FOL is one of the few success stories we have. It continues to attract a young, fairly affluent, and vibrant (perhaps too vibrant!) group of people to the City’s downtown business area, and provides a tremendous kickoff to the summer tourist season. Unfortunately, it wreaks havoc with those who choose to live in the downtown core, which is in conflict with the City’s desire to increase the downtown habitation, particularly with new condos that have sprung up of late.
In some ways, the situation has actually been made worse by rules forcing the entertainment to stop at 10 or 11 pm, leaving a primed-up crowd with nowhere to go.
Facts:
-PEI, and Charlottetown need this festival. Provides kick start to season, and introduces a younger generation to our Island (a big improvement over the days when the RCMP and park police used to seize liquor from youth en route to the May 24 weekend at the National Park, possibly turning off an entire generation of potential tourists).
-Status quo does not work for downtown residents.
The old Imperial tank farm may be the best solution, although I can foresee a huge traffic problem at the foot of the Hillsborough Bridge. At least it keeps them downtown, and away from the residents, although there is still the issue of what they will do and where they will go after the event. Residents (including those who live across the water in Stratford) will have to weigh the noise problem of keeping the concert goers onsite longer, against the possibility of more property damage if they are let out earlier.
Increasing the police force for that weekend is necessary no matter what option is chosen. This would involve engaging the RCMP and private security firms, and would cost a bundle. Failing to do so, though, may result in valued taxpayers fleeing the downtown.
Hopefully a solution will be found that will allow the event to continue, and the downtown residents to be able to endure the weekend without undue hardship.