mr.x
Apr 1, 2009, 4:30 AM
I'm still at odds at why the AUS is responsible for such a large event, and why other faculties haven't pitched in. This isn't just an AUS event, it's much more than that: a UBC event.
AUS fails to resurrect Arts County Fair
Ill conceived revival attempt shot down by UBC Classroom Services, RCMP
by Katarina Grgić
News Staff
Friday, March 27th, 2009
The AUS’s attempt to revive Arts County Fair (ACF) is cancelled. Despite the AUS’s effort and planning, the event was denied approval by UBC Classroom Services and the RCMP.
The event was meant to be a revival of the original ACF, which ran from 1992 until its cancellation in 2007 due to accumulating debts. The event was to be held on Main Mall between the Flag Pole Plaza and Neil Wyman Plaza on April 3, 2009. As the event’s plans and promotions were being arranged, the planning team, led by AUS Councillor Mike Kushnir, worked in attempting to secure a soft agreement with all relevant parties, including Classroom Services and the RCMP.
Throughout the planning process, the AUS was careful to tailor its plans according to the advice of Capt. Bill Douglas of Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services (VFRS) in order to gain approval. A similar meeting took place with the RCMP’s Sgt. Dan Wendland.
According to Kushnir, who is a founding member of the Radical Beer Faction, Classroom Services rejected the AUS’s request to reserve the venue on Main Mall after they heard numerous concerns raised by internal parties at UBC.
After appealing Classroom Services’s decision, the AUS was finally granted a meeting with the director of Classroom Services, Justin Marples, whom Kushnir claims was rude and unwilling to work with them. On March 13, the AUS was notified by Classroom Services that the request for the Main Mall venue was denied by RCMP’s University Detachment.
“I was shocked at the decision,” said Kushnir. He felt confident that the handshake agreement exchanged between Sgt. Wendland and himself was confirmation of the RCMP’s support. When the RCMP delivered their decision, Kushnir said he felt “betrayed.”
The RCMP has said that it was simply impossible for them to grant a Special Operation Licence, as UBC refused to put forward the money to pay for the supplementary police resources required to cover the event.
“We couldn’t get UBC Treasury to accept the initial paying of the costs, so there was no way we could go ahead with it,” said Wendland, estimating that he would have needed around $5000 for the additional resources. He speculated that because Block Party, an AMS-run concert, is set to take on April 8, UBC had little reason to approve an additional concert.
Ryan Corbett, former production manager of ACF, said that the time frame was too short to plan the new event—only six weeks, in contrast with preparation of old ACFs which began months in advance. “In my mind, either the plan was too ambitious or disregarded the necessary steps, hurdles and checks that need to be accommodated for in order to host an event on campus, especially given that it was an outdoor event near the end of the term,” he said.
“We were prepared to work with everyone,” said Kushnir. “This is a classic example of the war on fun.”
http://www.ubyssey.ca/?p=7929
From flickr.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/232/457897304_0f870d7fd7.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/206/457901164_b067e48dea.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/247/457914331_ee2a9085bb.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/239/457915087_4d47131f57.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/239/458349669_4b5be81900.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/251/458331526_f70d3fc50b.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/251/458351759_7a153901a2.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/238/458336288_4ca92d67cd.jpg?v=0
AUS fails to resurrect Arts County Fair
Ill conceived revival attempt shot down by UBC Classroom Services, RCMP
by Katarina Grgić
News Staff
Friday, March 27th, 2009
The AUS’s attempt to revive Arts County Fair (ACF) is cancelled. Despite the AUS’s effort and planning, the event was denied approval by UBC Classroom Services and the RCMP.
The event was meant to be a revival of the original ACF, which ran from 1992 until its cancellation in 2007 due to accumulating debts. The event was to be held on Main Mall between the Flag Pole Plaza and Neil Wyman Plaza on April 3, 2009. As the event’s plans and promotions were being arranged, the planning team, led by AUS Councillor Mike Kushnir, worked in attempting to secure a soft agreement with all relevant parties, including Classroom Services and the RCMP.
Throughout the planning process, the AUS was careful to tailor its plans according to the advice of Capt. Bill Douglas of Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services (VFRS) in order to gain approval. A similar meeting took place with the RCMP’s Sgt. Dan Wendland.
According to Kushnir, who is a founding member of the Radical Beer Faction, Classroom Services rejected the AUS’s request to reserve the venue on Main Mall after they heard numerous concerns raised by internal parties at UBC.
After appealing Classroom Services’s decision, the AUS was finally granted a meeting with the director of Classroom Services, Justin Marples, whom Kushnir claims was rude and unwilling to work with them. On March 13, the AUS was notified by Classroom Services that the request for the Main Mall venue was denied by RCMP’s University Detachment.
“I was shocked at the decision,” said Kushnir. He felt confident that the handshake agreement exchanged between Sgt. Wendland and himself was confirmation of the RCMP’s support. When the RCMP delivered their decision, Kushnir said he felt “betrayed.”
The RCMP has said that it was simply impossible for them to grant a Special Operation Licence, as UBC refused to put forward the money to pay for the supplementary police resources required to cover the event.
“We couldn’t get UBC Treasury to accept the initial paying of the costs, so there was no way we could go ahead with it,” said Wendland, estimating that he would have needed around $5000 for the additional resources. He speculated that because Block Party, an AMS-run concert, is set to take on April 8, UBC had little reason to approve an additional concert.
Ryan Corbett, former production manager of ACF, said that the time frame was too short to plan the new event—only six weeks, in contrast with preparation of old ACFs which began months in advance. “In my mind, either the plan was too ambitious or disregarded the necessary steps, hurdles and checks that need to be accommodated for in order to host an event on campus, especially given that it was an outdoor event near the end of the term,” he said.
“We were prepared to work with everyone,” said Kushnir. “This is a classic example of the war on fun.”
http://www.ubyssey.ca/?p=7929
From flickr.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/232/457897304_0f870d7fd7.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/206/457901164_b067e48dea.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/247/457914331_ee2a9085bb.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/239/457915087_4d47131f57.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/239/458349669_4b5be81900.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/251/458331526_f70d3fc50b.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/251/458351759_7a153901a2.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/238/458336288_4ca92d67cd.jpg?v=0