I wish Summerside good luck in recovering the lost money, and I don’t want to add to the storm of criticism they’re facing. But in defending their own actions, Summerside officials have drawn parallels to events that have been hosted in Charlottetown. So let me just state a few facts for clarification.

When I was first elected to Charlottetown city council I became vice-chair of a committee responsible for event attraction. In that role I spent a great deal of time dealing with the promoter who brought the Aerosmith concert to Charlottetown. Never, in any discussions with the promoter, was the city asked to put up the kind of cash Summerside did. Our sole contribution was police and fire services in-kind, which we estimated at a maximum value of $25,000. The city provides the same type of services, in the interest of public safety, for many large public events such as the Gold Cup & Saucer Parade, for example. The concert promoter took all the risks; he secured the artists and paid for the entire production, with his own money and with money from wealthy US investors he persuaded to share the risk with him.

Likewise with Tourism Charlottetown’s Cirque du Soleil shows last summer. TCI is an independent, non-profit organization. The city pays TCI about $125k/year for a range of specific services like leisure tourism marketing/advertising, and small operations like the Confederation Players troupe. Our contribution to the Cirque shows was again emergency services in-kind, and a small sponsorship fee of $10k. For TCI, the Cirque shows were not a financial success, but they were certainly great entertainment for thousands of people.

The amounts we contributed to these events was tiny compared to Summerside’s investment in their no-show event. Mega-concerts are great fun and welcome entertainment but the City of Charlottetown is not in the business of producing and promoting entertainment events and has never assumed the massive financial risks that come with them.

There will be refreshments, music, horse and sleigh rides, and walks through the woods.  At 7:00pm Reverend Matheson will give a Prayer for Peace for 2011 followed by a fireworks display.

This is a great community event for families that promotes peace and happiness for the coming new year.

Hope you can join in the celebration.

[Click for printable 11 x 17  version]

The Festival of Lights concert series does not begin until July 3rd. This means the concert stage and all the peripherals that go with it will not be erected until after Canada day. Should make for lots of room for everyone and an unimpeded view of the fireworks. [UPDATE July 1st - Contrary to what I was told months ago, the FoL main stage and fencing are already setup. I thought these were to be erected tomorrow.]

See you there!

From the Festival of Lights website:

June 27-July 1: Family Fun Days
Historic Charlottetown Waterfront will be transformed into fun for the whole family with all the Festival favourites returning: Atlantic Superstore Petting Zoo, Peakes Quay Strongman Competition, Children’s Village presented by Northumberland Ferries, buskers and a 10 hour FREE Concert for Canada presented by Century 21 Colonial Realty on July 1st. The Canada Day finale will be the largest musical fireworks extravaganza in Atlantic Canada, proudly sponsored by WestJet. NEW activities on the waterfront for the Atlantic Superstore Festival of Lights are: Rick Hansen Wheels In Motion, SportyKids Fitness, activities with the 2009 Canada Games Host Society, a Confederation Centre of the Arts Young Company performance, and Always on Stage live music entertainment, and more. All these activities are FREE for families to enjoy.

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.

On the other hand, I’ve had members of the business community tell me how important and successful this festival is, and how we need to maintain it downtown.

In my opinion, something needs to change — either the demographic the concerts cater to, or the location of the concerts, or both. I recently spoke to a friend who played a leading role when the Festival of Lights was originally conceived. It was also his opinion that the festival had “gone off the rails”.

Certainly the people of Charlottetown and PEI are divided over what constitutes “success” where the Festival of Lights is concerned. But consider the email below, received by the Mayor, from a managing editor of a Southern California magazine who was here to write a travel article (the email is published with permission but name is withheld by request):

Dear Mayor Lee,

I was in Charlottetown during the recent Festival of Lights. This was my first visit to your city and to PEI. I was an assignment for [name withheld] Magazine, for which I serve as managing editor. I stayed at the Rodd Crowbush Golf & Beach Resort in Lakeside, Dalvay-by-the-Sea, and Hillhurst Inn, and have written a travel article for the magazine’s August issue.

I must admit I was quite dismayed by the crowd that was attracted to the Festival of Lights. I have traveled widely throughout the world, but I cannot remember encountering a ruder bunch of people than I did in Charlottetown. Anywhere I went in town, my ears were assaulted by young people using the “F” word with every breath. Moreover, young people called out to pedestrians as they drove by, making fun of how they looked or dressed and assaulting them with crude comments. Not only is this rude behavior in general, but I was very surprised that I encountered such poor manners in Canada. I have made perhaps 15 trips to your beautiful country over the years and have always been met by friendly, kind, generous, well-mannered citizens. The behavior I noted during the Festival of Lights was rather shocking.

I would suggest that you re-evaluate the way you celebrate Canada Day in Charlottetown. I am sure that the citizens are not so rude–Scott, Heidi, and Fiona at Hillhurst Inn are wonderful people–but you are attracting to your fair city people who just don’t know how to behave because of the musicians you are headlining during this weekend.

Best regards,

[name withheld]

Something needs to give. I’m not suggesting the Festival of Lights be scrapped, but in a province so heavily dependent on tourism — and in a world where everyone is a potential travel writer — we need to re-focus this festival to showcase the best of our community, not the worst.

To celebrate Jane Jacobs Day, May 4th 2008, you are invited to participate in Jane’s Walk 2008, hosted by Catherine Hennessey as she tells the stories of the places and people of her downtown neighbourhood. Jane’s Walk is a series of free neighbourhood walking tours given by residents who care passionately about where they live, work and play.

Read more about Jane’s Walk.

The first time I realized urban planning was a serious discipline was more than twenty years ago when I was visiting friends in Toronto who were neighbours of Jacobs. I was 16, and I was a guest of my friends at Jane’s 70th birthday party in her home across the street on Albany Avenue in the Annex. I remember being very surprised that someone could be so famous for “thinking about cities”, but at the time I don’t think I had a clue what was involved in urban planning. Jane’s Walks are a great way to honour her legacy and promote her ideas for creating vital, livable cities.

Keep in mind, this is NOT the site plan for any concert that may or may not take place at this venue. It is only a mock-up for the purpose of demonstrating the site’s potential. It is marketing material.

You can view the full image here, computer-generated inflatable beer cans and all. (I reduced the size of the original image because it was a very large high resolution file)

UPDATE: One more thing to note — the city recently passed a resolution to allow the ONE-TIME use of Upton Farm as a concert venue. There are no plans to make this a permanent concert site.

All are invited to West Kent School, Viceroy Avenue, Charlottetown for a Fall Fair on Saturday, October 27, 2007 10:00am – 1:00pm.

This free admission event is open to the public and has something for everyone!

Events include: silent auction, carnival games, thrill room, bake sale & cake walk, toy & book sale, crafts for kids, cookie decorating, tattoo art & face painting, gift basket raffle & BBQ lunch.

At the time, Kroeger’s constant cursing and sexual innuendo struck me as a very lame and deliberate performance to fulfil a bad-boy rock star cliche. What I didn’t know then was that the organizers of the event had actually asked the band not to swear during their performance. I think we should all be able to draw upon forty-odd years of historical experience with rock bands who were asked NOT to do something. It always backfires, and I think we’re just lucky Nickelback didn’t go back to their hotel room and toss the furniture out the window. Lesson learned.

I’ve been to many, many large rock concerts with louder and lewder and more outrageous behaviour than Nickelback’s, and I don’t personally have a problem with profanity, but Tourism Charlottetown should not promote an event as “family friendly”, if indeed they did, when the headliners are very well known not to be. I believe, as I’m quoted in the paper, “it was a mistake to ask the band here in the first place if the city is concerned about providing family entertainment.”

I should say, however, that Tourism Charlottetown — poor choice of entertainment aside — deserves credit for a very well organized and successful event. The Charlottetown Police should also be congratulated for keeping a lid on things, as much as was possible under the circumstances.