Pubdate: Mon, 22 Jan 2001
Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 BC Newspaper Group
Contact:  777B Poplar St. Naniamo, B.C. V9S 2H7
Fax: (250) 753 0788
Website: http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/
Author: Darrell Bellaart

NEW CITY RULES GET RAVE REVIEWS

A promoter has nothing but praise for a new bylaw that gives the city
power to regulate rave parties.

"I think it's awesome," says Eric MacKinnon, who hopes to organize a
rave in Nanaimo in May.

"A lot of stuff in there was stuff I had originally talked about with
the city about putting on a rave at Frank Crane Arena, and a lot of that
stuff I had mentioned to (Coun. Terry) Beech."

MacKinnon hails from southern Ontario, where rave parties are coming out
of the underground closet as cities legitimize them with municipal
bylaws.

The city of Nanaimo is in the midst of doing the same thing, putting it
on the cutting edge of B.C. municipalities trying to come to terms with
the relatively new phenomena.

All-night rave parties, which feature loud, hypnotic dance music, are
reminiscent of the "happenings" popularized in the 1960s.

Raves have earned a reputation for excessive drug use, and numerous
deaths, usually related to overdosing on ecstasy has fueled media
hysteria about such events.

Regulations can help combat that negative image, MacKinnon says.

"Controlling (drugs) is definitely a must. All a promoter can do, from
my standpoint, you tell security 'Get everybody, make sure.' We don't
want drugs, we don't want alcohol."

Until now, noise bylaws and drug laws were the only tools available to
police to combat raves.

A newly-written bylaw will require rave promoters to submit a plan to
RCMP, with provisions for security and safety, including first aid.

It will also limit raves to 24 hours. The World Electronic Music
Festival, held each summer in St. Catherines, runs for three days.

MacKinnon believes the bylaw will go a long way to removing the stigma
attached to rave parties.

He also proposes limiting rave parties to people aged 16 and over, while
acknowledging it can be difficult to enforce, since many teenagers don't
carry identification.

He doubts regulations will take away from the mystique surrounding
raves.

"People going to a rave shouldn't care how it's going on, just that it
is," he says.

"Finally, it's legal, the police won't shut it down. You won't end up in
jail - you'll get to go and have a good time and stay all night."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk