The SLRD is favouring crickets over the sound of concert music in the Upper Squamish Valley this weekend.
A multi-day music and art event that was planned for the area from June 3 to 4 has been quashed by the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.
The board voted 6-4 to deny a temporary use permit that would’ve allowed for a fundraising event called the Rise & Shine FamJam Fundraiser 2022.
The funds would have gone to the Rise & Shine Foundation, an organization that hosts what it describes as youth empowerment programs.
The six board members who voted against the proposal were directors Sal DeMare of Electoral Area A; Vivian Birch-Jones of Electoral Area B; Russell Mack of Electoral Area C; Tony Rainbow of Electoral Area D; Barb Wiebe of the District of Lillooet, and Chris Pettingill of the District of Squamish.
The organization’s event page said its intent was to use music and dance to “create enriched youth learning environments by donating 100% of the festival proceeds to the Rise & Shine: Captains Camps, DJ Camps and the Rise & Shine App.”
On the Rise & Shine website, Captains Camps are described as providing attendees “with a series of experiences and lessons that explore the habits, mental skills, and personal responsibilities that are critical tools for leaders of all ages.”
The cost for the Captains Camp this year is $225 for several days or $100 for one day.
Organizers for the Rise & Shine FamJam Fundraiser 2022 announced a lineup of 12 artists who would be playing at the event. The Fort Knox Five were billed as the headliners.
The event would’ve kicked off with a cinema night on June 3, followed by music from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. the following day.
An SLRD staff report said the permit application proposed the inclusion of eight portable washrooms, canopies, and a food vendor. The idea was to have an event capped at 150 attendees who would have the option to camp overnight on site and leave in the morning.
Some of the most passionate comments against granting the permit came from Rainbow, who represents the area of rural Squamish where the event was scheduled to take place.
“If someone wants to come to us and say we want to run a fundraiser for this particular charity, they should give us some details,” said Rainbow.
“What have Rise & Shine done? They must have a list of events and workshops and camps that they’ve run, so they should be providing it to us. And they should be giving us some indication of what the financial arrangements are. How much they expect to raise from the gate; how much do they have to pay the performers; how much do they have to pay for rent for the place, and how much is actually going to go to the foundation.”
Rainbow also voiced concerns about noise, saying that the shape of the valley makes concert music inescapable in the area.
The District of Squamish’s two representatives on the board had differing ideas regarding the event.
Coun. Chris Pettingill, who was serving as an alternate director for the board that meeting, said he was uncomfortable with the lack of clarity in the report.
By his interpretation, it seemed that the money was going to a for-profit company, and it wasn’t clear from the information he was given how the money would be divided towards that company’s charitable foundation, Pettingill said.
He also had concerns about hosting an event on designated agricultural land.
A staff report says that the property is zoned as Agriculture 1, which does not permit commercial uses such as concerts, fundraisers, and overnight tourist accommodations.
Coun. Jenna Stoner, who regularly serves as a director on the SLRD board, was in support of the event happening this year, with a possibility of an annual follow-up.
The renewal would depend on the performance of the event for the first year, she said.
Organizers for the event did not respond to requests for comment before press deadline.
