The Sea Cavalcade committee is stuck between a rock and a hard place - and it is not from their lack of effort, butrather a lack of consideration from some in our community.
On Tuesday night, committee members appeared before Gibsons council to outline plans for this year's Sea Cavalcade festival - the 45th edition set for late July.
The committee, all volunteers who put in hundreds of hours of planning and preparation and many more during the event, are imploring the community to act responsibly, cut out the booze and boorish behaviour, or the popular family street dance and other activities will have to be cancelled.
At Tuesday's council meeting, the committee presented two options - one event schedule without the street dance and a second schedule with the street dance. Council wants to see the street dance continue and has suggested that it be held at an earlier time on Saturday, possibly alongside the family fun day activities, which will now be in Lower Gibsons at Holland and Winegarden parks, as Brothers Park is not available due to maintenance at that facility.
And according to the committee, if the street dance and other activities are cancelled, it will represent a $13,000 shortfall.
Sunshine Coast RCMP, Town officials and the committee members themselves have had enough of the hooligans who have taken over the street dance the past few years and turned what was once a family-friendly event into a drunken melee. The dance is supposed to be an alcohol-free event, but in the past two years, too many adults and youth have forgotten how to have a good time - responsibly. There have been countless arrests for fighting, intoxication and property damage. The policing costs are going through the roof and the committee or the Town will be saddled with the hefty bill in the coming years to help pay for the added policing resources. So does the Town have to contend with adding policing costs and possibly additional costs borne by the committee if events like the street dance are cancelled because some can't act their age?
That's a bill that the committee or the Town will have a huge difficulty paying. And why should they have to? If people have a good time in a responsible manner there should not be a need to have so many police on the streets. But that has not been the case and too many people are spoiling things for everyone. It's a sad situation when we can't enjoy some events in our community. Grow up, people, and start acting your age. Do we want the "No Fun" moniker in this community?
