Unsanctioned EDM festival in remote B.C. has authorities concerned
Festival's location unclear, but Thompson-Nicola Regional District suspects it will be near Vidette
An unsanctioned electronic music festival expected to be held north of Kamloops has the Thompson-Nicola Regional District worried for the safety of anyone who attends.
The Electric Love Music Festival is scheduled for the B.C. Day long weekend, presumably at the Allie Lake Ranch near Vidette — a remote community where the TNRD says emergency vehicles will have difficulty reaching.
"This is probably one of the most remote areas in the TNRD," district director of development services Regina Sadilkova told Radio West host Audrey McKinnon.
"It's off forestry service roads, some dedicated, some not. Some of them cross private land."
In a press release, the TNRD also highlighted other concerns, including wildfire risk, environmental damage, farmland damage and adequate on-site sanitation and potable water.
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Organizers changed plans — or did they?
Sadilkova says festival organizers told the TNRD that because of these concerns, they were looking for another venue.
The festival's webpage says the location is "TBD" while the Facebook page gives a location of "Kamloops area."
However, Sadilkova says district staff visited the initially proposed site earlier in June and found "a great deal of activity."
"Earth moving, grading, road building — it looked like they were getting ready for a festival," she said.
Radio West attempted to reach out to Electric Love Music Festival organizers, but were unable to to reach them.
Sadilkova says if festival organizers do proceed with the event at the proposed site, the TNRD may seek a court injunction to keep them off the land.
She says anyone considering going needs to use caution.
"Do your homework, find out if it is a permitted activity before spending your time travelling to a location and your money on buying tickets," she said.
With files from CBC Radio One's Radio West
To hear the full story, click the audio labelled: Remote, unsanctioned EDM festival has Thompson-Nicola authorities concerned