By James Peters / Chad Harris

Organizer, TNRD spar over music festival

Jun 24, 2016 | 10:50 AM

KAMLOOPS —The Thompson-Nicola Regional District says it appears organizers of a music festival planned for the Deadman Valley next month are preparing to go ahead, despite having none of the proper permits in place.

Development Services Director Regina Sadilkova says the Electric Love Music Festival is advertised to be held at the Allie Lake Ranch near Vidette on the BC Day long weekend.

Sadilkova says the event is completely unsanctioned.

“We have been in touch with them, they did submit some applications. They weren’t 100 per cent complete. Those applications were submitted, I believe, in early February. Even in early February they would not have made a July event date,” stated Sadilkova. 

Sadilkova says the process of rezoning property and going through the Agricultural Land Commission can take up to a year.

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“A special events permit can go faster, it doesn’t go through the same involved process. Usually people would apply for them all at once, and we would try and stagger them, and do them as efficiently as possible. Within a month, no way, that’s not even lawfully possible because of our notice requirements.”

Sadilkova held up the Merritt Rockin’ River Fest as an example of an event that has done all of its due diligence with local authorities, and says Electric Love organizers could take some hints.

“[We will encourage] them not to hold the event, because our bylaws don’t permit it. Ideally they could find another location where they could hold the event. I did speak with them about the Merritt lands, however that long weekend there is a festival booked there already.”

Sadilkova says if organizers are intent on holding the event, they should look at another location.

Meantime, the organizer of the Electric Love Music Festival says the event is a go for the BC Day long weekend, barely one month away, but the location will only be revealed on Monday.

Dennis Nukina says he has made all the appropriate arrangements, even if he doesn’t have an event permit from the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.

“I mean there is a reason why you don’t announce things and all that. There are various contracts, and this and that. I mean everything just has to be ironed out, like I mean, It’s top secret. Who knows where it is?” said Nukina. 

A tweet sent out by organizers on December 16, 2015 announcing a permanent location of Allie Lake has since been deleted.