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Dragon Boat Canada


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Canoe Kayak Canada

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[gunghaggis]

24 Hours
Up The Creek
http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/local/2009/06/17/9821946-sun.html

Vancouver's long-running Dragon Boat Festival is in danger of capsizing without help from City Hall.

Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society chair Jas Kalsi sent a troubling letter to city council yesterday stating the festival will be squeezed out of their iconic False Creek location - where they've been paddling since Expo 86 - by development unless the city approves a permanent boathouse.

"We're running out of time and space," Kalsi told 24 hours. "This is something we've been asking for the last 10 years, but we haven't seen a commitment."

Council is expected to receive a staff report on the future of False Creek in the next few weeks, and Kalsi prays dragon boats will be included. If not, the festival may be forced to relocate to another city.

"There are alternatives but False Creek is the place to be," he said. "We want to be a part of the area. Sponsors are prepared the finance the boathouse, so it's really about getting councillors to make that commitment."
Click here to find out more!

Coun. Raymond Louie called the festival a "mainstay of the city" and assured council is committed to the event.

A facility is under construction to support boating in the creek, although it's not big enough to accommodate the festival's needs.

Read more:
http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/local/2009/06/17/9821946-sun.html

[gunghaggis]

Here's the story on NEWS 1130
http://www.news1130.com/more.jsp?content=20090617_171321_10092

Dragon Boat Festival needs permanent home to avoid leaving Vancouver
Running out of room at current Science World site

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - This could be the last year for Vancouver's annual Dragon Boat Festival, unless the city steps in and helps give it a permanent home.  Festival General Manager Ann Phelps says there is only one piece of property left in False Creek, and she says if the development doesn't include a place for the festival, they will have to go elsewhere.

Phelps says the festival has become a huge economic generator for the city.  "We are a million dollar festival...that's what it costs us to put the event on.  But we are a big economic development opportunity for the city.  We have close to 1,500 people that come into the city from outside Vancouver."  Phelps says those visitors spend about $2.4 million over the weekend event.

City Councillor Raymond Louie says there is space planned for dragon boats, but it's up to council to approve it.   "Being a former dragon boater myself, I see the value and want to see this continue in our city.  My hope--and I know that my colleagues share this sentiment--is that we will look for every opportunity to find some space and keep the Dragon Boat Festival here in Vancouver."

Louie says council is considering several options, including a stretch by Science World, for the event's home base.  As that piece of land (currently owned by Concord Pacific) is redeveloped and that creek side park is developed, the plan was to have a non-motorized marina.  He says current plans do have space for a dock, but it may have to be re-zoned to fit the thousands who attend the festival.

Phelps says you can support the festival (which runs this weekend) by signing a petition at this year's event.  Dragon boating appeared in Vancouver as a demonstration sport at Expo 86. Vancouverites liked it, interest started to grow, and in 1989 the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival was created.
 



 

[NFW]

If you are reading this, that means you are probably a paddler, caller, steerer or coach, so you can make a difference.
Please sign the petition when you are there this weekend (make an effort to find out which booth the petition's are at) and spread the word to others that doesn't visit this forum regularly or at all (your team mates, family & friends that are there to support you, etc). Lets make our voices heard.

I for one would hate to see this staple event relocated to another city, because Alcan should always be the pride of Vancouver dragon boaters. It would definitely suck if we had to pay significantly more for flight, accomodation, food, and etc to attend Alcan Festival....the 2010 Halifax Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival. or perhaps the 2010 YellowKnife Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival?

[shuynh28]

Agreed!
I'll be signing that petition fo sheezies and nagging anyone I run into to do so as well

[mandachan]

or perhaps the 2010 YellowKnife Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival?

  ...oh gosh. I will get on it asap.

[LittleSchrodinger]

Yeah, looks like it's time to get rallying. It's harder to think of a better weekend to get truckloads of paddlers than this weekend.

And I've always wanted to see a dragonboat being chased by a polar bear in Nunavut.

[paddling geek]

A rally is okay but come on... if we knew about this months ago? Why didn't weren't there petitions posted up at dragon zone, fcrcc, vos all season long? (an emailed sent out to out of town teams who take a part in Alcan) and or had set up a booth at the regattas we just had?

I don't want to see Alcan leave Vancouver either (It will be my 15th yr attending it) but something should have been thought up months ago not days before Alcan.

if we can't get a good lowermainland venue I say we should all flock down to San Fran and race

[LittleSchrodinger]

Oh, that reminds me, paddling geek. Didn't we have a discussion on the Creekside development a few months ago? http://www.dragonboatwest.net/index.php?topic=5358.0

I never remember if anything concrete came out of it, but there WAS a mention of petition in the thread.

[gunghaggis]

Hey there DBers....

Last year May 24th 2008, the Vancouver Sun published a story called

Dragon boats about to set sail
Vancouver's development plans for False Creek leave out a very important institution

http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=ae962876-267d-4d2e-a634-646d8ee72b85

Isn't it a coincidence that these stories come out just prior to the staging of the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival?

Surely, the Festival Society and its PR department are releasing their press releases at a time to pick up the most media responses.  Who care about dragon boating in November during a civic election?

Sadly, nothing concrete has been done since last year - so the Festival Society Chair Jas Kalsi is trying to get his message through to city planners and council through the media. 

I am really hoping that the present council can do more than be sympathetic.  Councilor Raymond Louie is a past paddler, he helped us start up the Vancouver Taiwanese Dragon Boat Festival, and he has family paddling in this year's race. He says he understands the issues. 

But we have to get the rest of city council and planning department on board too. Councilor  Ellen Woodsworth  has been an honourary drummer for Gung Haggis Fat Choy team, and helped with the Save Kogawa House campaign.  Councilor Suzanne Anton entered politics because of community sports and recreation issues. She has been involved with Kerrisdale Soccer Club (past president); Vancouver Field Sport Federation (past vice-president); and Achilles Track Society.  Hopefully she can apply her expertise and experience to dragonboats?

There is a also dragon boater on Parks Board, elected last November.  Stuart Mackinnon is politically savy and well-connected.  Maybe something can happen with the planned SE False Creek Community Centre, in a similar manner to False Creek Racing Canoe Club using facilities at the False Creek Community Centre.

I have been involved in the successful campaigns to "Save Joy Kogawa's childhood home", "Chinese Head Tax Redress", and am currently on the SaveTLC committee.  My recommendations for dragon boaters is to:
1)  create a Save Dragon Boats on False Creek committee
2)  work with the Festival Society.
3)  encourage your friends and family to sign the petitions
4)  write your concerns to Mayor Robertson and the City
5)  attend public planning meetings and forums for SE and NE False Creek.

[rtsdhvy]

The RTA Festival is one of the highlights of "Summer in Vancouver", but I can't help
but think that eventually all of the space around False Creek will be used for condominium
construction. When you compare the $2.4 million that the RTA supposedly brings to Vancouver for one weekend a year to the amount of money that high-density luxury
condo's could put into the City of Vancouver's coffers, the real estate value far exceeds
what 10 or 20 years worth of RTA's can earn for the city.
Also, with the financial mess the City of Vancouver has gotten itself into with the construction of the Olympic Village, the city government will be looking at any way possible to get out of debt. Even if they sell out at the Olympic village they may not
be able to cover the debt for construction because the condos may have to be sold for less money than it took to build them in the first place. So, instead of raising everybody's
taxes and increasing user fees($10 an hour to park on Robson Street anybody??) to pay off the debt, it is my opinion that condo development will happen eventually.
In the long run it all comes down to money and votes. The City Council will do whatever
will get them the most votes in the next civic election.
 

[gunghaggis]

The issue was brought up Friday evening at the VIP party for the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival.  Lots of the sponsors, organizers, and local politicians were there.

Festival Chair Jas Kalsi talked about the issue to the audience.
Sen. Nancy Green Raine said that the Harper federal government will pledge $100,000 to the RTA Festival.
Mayor Gregor Robertson said he supports councilor Raymond Louie's statements, that city council supports dragon boats on False Creek, and things are moving through the planning stage.  Robertson also shared that his son is paddling in his first dragon boat race.
Terry Hui, CEO of Concord said that Concord is committed to the Festival.
See Concord's commitment in yesterday's 24 Hours story
http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/local/2009/06/18/9835626-sun.html

The VIP party was attended by Mayor Robertson, councilors Ellen Woodsworth, Suzanne Anton, Raymond Louie, George Chow, and Andrea Reimer, as well as Parks Commissioner Stuart Mackinnon (who dotted one of the dragon's eyes during opening ceremonies).

Members of the Festival board and Race Committee talked to the politicians.  I also talked with Concord Pacific's senior vice-president of planning - Matt Meehan, all the civic politicians, and Mayor Robertson (who has attended the last 2 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinners).

But things still need to be kept moving... and confirmed on plans...  3 years ago, the Dragon Zone trailer and docks were supposed to have been moved to the NE corner of False Creek.  3 Festivals later, we are still on the SE corner, and the SE development is squeezing dragon boats out.  The SE development claimed the city-owned warehouse where the Taiwanese boats were being stored since 2003, and now the beautiful Taiwanese boats have been taking beatings in the weather since last fall.

The NE corner of False Creek is supposed to be turned into an extension of Creekside Park... all the way to where the north side dock is presently sitting.  There really isn't any reason why a boat house and dock can't be set up now.  Concord owns the land, and priority for park development is probably secondary to it's planned high rises.

Paddlers in the community can send letters to City Council AND Concord Pacific, sign the petitions, and please ask your friends to do the same.  Community leaders will continue to work with the politicians and key groups, and make more presentations.

[goobeygoober]

I didn't see any petition sign up place at Alcan, and asked other paddlers, but nobody seemed to know anything about it. This was pretty disconcerting considering many people would have signed it if there was one being passed around. All they had to do was walk through the racers village.

Today there doesn't even seem to be a facebook group yet. Whoever's on point on this campaign needs to spread the word about what paddlers need to do a bit better. The majority of paddlers, like me, don't keep up with what's going on in these forums, so there needs to be another way to get everyone involved.

[Illuminate]

It was beside the stage, I got the chance to sign it

[LittleSchrodinger]

Beside the stage? It wasn't in a very good spot, then, because I couldn't see any petition either. It'd be nice to have them in front  of the racer's village instead.

[paddlecwazy]

I signed it, but I only found it after I heard the announcer mention that the petition was at the Dragonzone tent on the grass.

I'm guessing that the Dragonzone booth was in the nom-premium location purely for economical reasons. In hindishgt I'm sure it definitely would have made sense to have the petition in or near the racers village. 

Maybe they can have copes of the petition left at Dragonzone & FCRCC so that paddlers who didn't sign it during the festival can do so now (once we're all back practicing).