The Sea Cavalcade committee is looking at several options for its schedule of events for this year's festival in July in the hopes of curbing the alcohol and arrests that have marred the family street dance the past few years.
Committee chair Conchita Harding and vice-chair Ali Glencross appeared at the Gibsons committee of the whole meeting on May 28 asking for council's support and help seeking answers on how to continue to create a family atmosphere without all the problems.
"Our festival committee has been meeting with various stakeholders, including the RCMP, and we would like to report on our activities including the concerns surrounding our events and some safety concerns over the consumption of alcohol by youth and adults during the family street dance," Harding said. "We have two options - one with and one without the street dance."
Harding said if the street dance is cancelled, it would represent a significant funding shortfall. And with Brother's Park undergoing renovations, it means moving all the family day events to Holland and Winegarden parks - another significant challenge for the committee.
With the venue changes for events and the potential of cancelling the street dance, it means up to a $13,000 loss for the committee, Harding said.
"The RCMP have said they will step up their presence this year, but they have indicated that in future years, the committee will have to help pay for the extra policing costs," Harding said. "There is significant financial pressure on us. Public safety and the alcohol consumption are the main issues. How can we avoid these issues and still have a great event?"
Council was sympathetic to the plight of the committee, stating several times how appreciative they were of the long hours the volunteers put in to staging the festival, but they were also struggling to come up with a right and just solution.
"The street dance and the events that happen around that is the concern, but I don't know what the answers are," said Mayor Wayne Rowe. "I feel very badly that the street dance has become such a focus of problems, because so many people enjoy it. I think I would be leaning towards an option that continues to have the street dance on the Saturday, but at an early time. I think the problems exist because the street dance is no longer a family dance by the late hours that it is held."
Councillors Lee Ann Johnson and Gerry Tretick agreed that keeping the street dance was the preferable option, as the Town could not be saddled with coming up with the budget shortfall - at least this year.
"I think we want to work with you to find a solution, but we just can't get there today," Tretick said. "Going forward we have to find a way to work with your committee to deal with these issues and make it work. We never want to shut things down. We have a red flag here, and let's take notice of that and let's try to find a solution. We'll have to take a serious look at the financial implications next year and in the years to come."
At the end of the discussion, council suggested that the committee look at holding the street dance earlier on the Saturday.
"The direction that I'm hearing is the street dance late at night is not supportable," Rowe added. "I would suggest that you keep everything on Saturday and Sunday like you did last year."
Harding said the committee would take all the suggestions and come back to council in the coming weeks with a full report.
"We will do our best to have an incredible festival," Harding said.
