Busking in Nanaimo

[Piper]

Awwwww, c'mon you two, some of us are following with great interest and I know this was a big meeting. Get on with the Email and the news already....

Well, first of all I really don't know why Veneta from bylaw services called me and asked to meet with me today. But do to past experiences with the law makers here in Nanaimo I asked Queen of the waterfront to join me. We disscused Recomendations put forward by buskers at our meeting in December and how they will be looked at during our next meeting with the stakeholders. We also were informed by Randy Churchill how the process would take place to prepare a proposal for council to vote on.
Queen of the waterfront also made it quite clear to both Randy & Venta that if the court order against us was still in place after the bylaw was completed and voted on we would not buy licenses, She also asked Randy to have the court order (Injuction) removed or we will. I'm sure Queen of the waterfront has much more to add related to The Charter of rights and freedoms which are connected to our busking issues and the way these rights have affected our family and how we live in fear everyday because of this particular court order (Injunction)

[queen of the waterfront]

Okay Kickadee.

What I got from the meeting is that there will be another round of committee meetings with input from the stakeholders

Who are the stake holders

The DNPS

THE OLD CITY QUARTER

MEMBERS OF COUNCIL

STREET ENTERTAINERS, BUSKERS IF YOU WISH

SOMEONE FROM THE PORT THEATRE

THE PORT AUTHORITY

THE CITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION

PARKS AND RECREATION.

There will be meetings and a review

Piper can post a list of what the buskers concerns were and are

If you google the june 2005 minutes of the Nanimo Economic Standing committee.

Also called STREET ENTERTAINERS BYLAW REVIEW COMMITTEE

You will find exactly the same thing as what is being considered now.

The major issues are no different today than they were then.

The bylaw we have today is the result of those committee meetings.

One of the recommendations was that council was to review the blaw in six months.

It is now five years later. What happened to the review?

Well City Staff couldnt have a review as some buskers who were protesting the bylaw were before the courts.

They were before the courts because the CITY STAFF decided not to use the ticket process
WHICH IS AN INTREGAL PART OF THE BYLAW

THEY DECIDED TO TAKE THE CUNNINGHAM FAMILY to court.

The city asked for an INJUNCTION and got it.

THey also asked for court costs and damages.

No other busker-street entertainer in Nanaimo had a ticket even though many were not obeying the NEW BYLAW and yes we have documentation from the FREEDOM OF INFORMATION FILES

No other buskers were being photographed by bylaw officers.

When the RCMP issued us tickets for protesting we were on PORT AUTHORITY PROPERTY and Piper has a letter stating that CITY BYLAWS DO NOT APPLY TO PORT PROPERTY.

I had another ticket which I disputed and beat for that very reason.

When a statement of defence was put into the courthouse the CITY OF NANAIMO took Adam BAker to court ith the INJUNCTION that the CITY got against the CUNNINHAM FAMILY. Then they dropped the case.

Today at the meeting I said that I WILL NOT BY A LICENCE IF THE COURT INJUNCTION IS STILL IN PLACE.

I have to pay for a licence which gives me very few rights as a STREET ENTERTAINER

I Am subject to harassment from the authorities, I am not protected by the authorities when I am attacked by other buskers or panhandlers.

ALL THE NEW RULES IN THE NEW BYLAWS MEAN NOTHING IF THEY ARE NOT APPLIED EQUALLY AND ACROSS THE BOARD

So I guess instead of complaining I am going to write an essay

BUSKING IN NANAIMO and THE CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

ONE SMALL FAMILY FIGHTS FOR THE RIGHT TO PLAY

Piper you are going to kill me!

[SecurityExpert]

It's a load of Bull

Only in Nanaimo

Talking to people who want to restrict your free speech will get you nowhere.

Go directly to Juge/court that issued the injucntion,argue section 2

nuff said

[calendar]

BUSKER IN B.C.

Busker in Victoria - September / 1st of October 2006

http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/somes...c17or2b53i.jpg

http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/mermaidinvichnt476wf.jpg

This two people enjoyed together with me the last warm sunshine and the expressive music performance of Ted Tanner at Bastian Square close to Inner Harbour in Victoria, sunday afternoon - 1st of October 2006.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...anada29060.jpg

Busker / street musician - Chemainus - end of September 2006

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n...ryourMusic.jpg

Busker / street musician - Teo Mance - Duncan July 2007

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...ncan210707.jpg

Busker in Tsawwassen - July 2007

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...rryVan-Vic.jpg

Busker - in Tsawassen - brother and sister from Victoria July 2007

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...ouverFerry.jpg

Citate in internet if found about before some weeks:

"Qristina & Quinn Bachand This brother and sister duo has been receiving rave reviews from audiences all the way from Vancouver Island to Cape Breton Island! Born and raised in Victoria, B.C. Qristina and Quinn Bachand come from a family with a strong musical heritage that has deep roots in France & Northern Spain. Seventeen year old Qristina is a solid & versatile fiddler with an expressive style that rooted in tradition. Blessed with an acute ear and an intense sense of rhythm, 11 year old Quinn is rapidly establishing himself as a gifted guitar accompanist. They consistently deliver a spirited performance that features their enthusiasm and love of Celtic music. Their repertoire includes Irish, Scottish, French, Cape Breton, Old-Time & Appalachian tunes!

Busker - mermaid - Victoria Inner Harbour July 2007

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...ic160707aa.jpg


http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...idsingsVic.jpg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...dVic160707.jpg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...Vic160707a.jpg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...rmaidinVic.jpg


BUSKER - NOT FIT FOR A GOOD SOCIETY ?

I am living in Germany - but I was few times in Nanaimo - autumn, summer
and winter. This winter times some weeks.

I often read in this busker-thread and wondered, and how longer I read here I cannot understand what is going on there in Nanaimo. May be the reason
could be that my English is not so perfect, but I don't think so.

What is others in Nanaimo than in other towns of B.C. / Canada or in other
countries? I was listening busker's in Amsterdam, Groningen / NL,
Bruxelles, Venice, Moscow Centar or in Gorky Park, Zagreb / Croatia, Salzburg / Austria, Slovenija, Paris, Switzerland, Istanbul, London, Berlin,
Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg etc. / Germany and in Canada B.C..

I was thinking about the by laws and some statements re busker's. I am knowing less than the residents or user from Nanaimo, but why are "busker's" a problem there and the City Government are so strict handling with them?

Actually I am producing a Radio Play, the crime-story-scene (55 minutes) is acting out on Vancouver Island like a road movie (btw: I told the radio fellows: "We should take a busker for some scenes in Victoria as back ground
music/effect!"). Also I have enough input from friends
who were growing up in Nanaimo or living there actually or from
my daughters experiences, she is very interesting for music scene and
sometimes in Nanaimo, but prefer Victoria and Vancouver cause there
are much better assortment of concerts, but she visited this years
some little concerts in Nanaimo.

I heard about issues with drugs and crime and other one's.

Also I am visiting a lot of nice places now in Nanaimo I never heard from when I came there first time before some years. I was at the 5 lakes
without names. A friend of Nanaimo showed it to me. Also I know the detailed description from my daughter about Nanaimo, cause it was her first place there to stay longer in Canada.

I know some different places of this town.
As a stranger / visitor it was not so easy (in my thought) to find
first something what we were looking for there in Nanaimo. And not only me
had this feeling.

But I found something there after a while at the second and third view
and in company with a friend from there.

Also for my radio play I told the radio speaker and fellows that I prefer
to take back ground music from artists from "Vancouver Island". I wondered.
I found so much good one, also from Nanaimo. Yesterday night we
were sitting 6 hours in the studio and choosing music for the radio play.
We enjoyed the musicians from V.I.

By the way I found some musicians in internet and their music I saw
this before as busker's in Vancouver / Tsawwassen or Victoria or Duncan (not from Nanaimo).

My questions:

1.
What is the real problem for the city government with busker's?

2.
What is the real problem for the cops there with busker's?

3.
What is the real problem for the Nanaimo residents with busker's?

4.
Are most of them playing so awful music? Are the busker's often
criminal / drug addicts - not fit for good society?

5.
Are the Nanaimo residents so stressed of them? Did you heard that the tourists / visitors / strangers will not go there at the spots where are some buskers (not hundreds of them, only a few)?

6.
Why the tourist enjoy the buskers
for example in Tsawwassen where the cars waiting for the ferry to V.I. or
at in the International Airport in Vancouver or at Government Street in
Victoria or close the City Hall of Duncan or at the Inner Harbour in
Victoria or in the centar of Chemainus -> or or or or ?

7.
Will the city government expect bulks of Buskers in town if they
would deactivate the actually by laws?

I met at this spots in B.C. different buskers and were listening them
longer than 30 minutes with a fellow from Nanaimo and with friends
from Germany. I made pictures about, took CDs to Germany and let
it play in our Radio Station. I found of some of them in internet websites
and that they are playing in halls, pubs, music events, churches, weddings....
Are they all criminal, not acceptable, not welcome, annoying.

8.
Are we (visitors, tourist, guests or residents) / I from an other planet that we like to listen it and have not taste of music?

....may be only the members of City government / those responsible of Nanaimo having the perfect taste of music and the cops there, ok, the cops must take care and attend the laws / rules. It is their job.

I really do not understand, what is the problem there with the

B U S K E R

in / close to Nanaimo!

May be someone can tell me in "easy words" that I can understand it better.
Or I understand most wrong what I read about and all is ok so.

The "last sound of Canada" I remember were this two musicians
at the International Airport in Vancouver, before I was leaving Canada

Busker's at the Airport Vancouver ?

http://www.fotos-hochladen.net/buski...na6pdr9go3.jpg

this are my "25 Cents"


Good Luck and greetings to Nanaimo!

c a l e n d a r

[queen of the waterfront]

Calendar

thankyou for your kind words.
In a nutshell I have to say that I dont understand what the problem is in Nanaimo with the busker.
I can give you my views, my opinion and direct you yo the hundreds of newspaper clippings I have.Yesterday Piper and i went to a meeting at bylaws at their request.
We spent an hour there.
I spent another hour with a counsellor at Haven as I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.my disorder becomes acute when I am dealing with figures of authority particularly police, bylaws and the Port Authority personel.
i am a logical person. I want to understand how deal with my illness. Where did it start? Why doesnt it go away? Yes I was raped on my home from busking in 1987, beaten badly and traumatised.The police at that time told me if I hadnt been busking I would not have been raped. At that time busking had been the source of money that gave my children the extra things that a small widows pension could not provide.I was proud of being able to earn my own living.For a couple of years I stopped busking altogether because i was terrified.I went to college and supplemented my income by doing daycare. I missed playing on the street and I missed all the wonderful people I met there.
One would think that with all the stress iwould never have busked again!

A front page story in the news paper caught my attention.Adam BAker was given a ticket for playing at a prohibeted spot and given a $100.00 fine. I am looking at a picture right now of a number of buskers who protested musically at the library square.
The article goes on to say"Nanaimo Mayor GAry Korpan said the bylaw was adopted because of panhandling complaints from some down town merchants" That made me angry as buskers are not panhandlers. I then heard the same Mr Korpan say on the local radio station that BUSKERS WERE NOTHING MORE THAN PANHANDLERS WITH A GUITAR IN FRONT OF THEM. I was really mad then. I got involved as activists often do when confronted with injustice.
From that day on I attended meetings with police, bylaws and other buskers. The bylaw was amended to include some spots with shelter from the rain.I had found my voice.
As time went by and times got tougher buskers caused a problem for themselves by fighting for spots. I was assaulted a couple of times because Iwas making too much money. I was black balled by other buskers who would line up at the spots so I couldnt play.

Another bylaw was enacted No 5602. Most buskers were fine with that until some one decided to put buskers in the prime spot who were not licenced and took away the prime spot.Thats when I got more vocal. The rest is history. Ispent from 1:00 pm until 5:00 am going over the court files , the newspaper editorials, and some of the " complaints" received by the City Of Nanaimo.I havent looked these files , hundreds of them for a long time.

I dont believe that most folks in Nanaimo. have a problem with buskers. There are always a few in any city as there is always someone who complains at a bar.

I believe strongly that I was targeted first by other buskers and then because I spoke up about what I saw as wrongness, I have been targeted by the police, bylaws, port Authority and in some cases by a few at City Council.
I have all the tickets that were given for no reason that were disputed. I have pictures and documentation since1994 which show that the only buskers who have been ticketed and harassed are the ones who spoke up about their rights. This is not about busking and hasnt been for a long time. It is about power and control. Every time I am accosted by the authorities when I have done nothing wrong I feel like I have just been raped and beaten all over again. HArch words?

This is Canada! We came from Scotland in 1966 because it was supposed to be a progressive country with a great history of CIVIL RIGHTS.

BUSKING IS NOT A CRIME

I am not done with the hundreds of files yet . I have decided to write an essay using all the sources in my files to prove that The INJUNCTION sought by the CITY OF NANAIMO VIOLATES MY CHARTER RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS.
I am prepared to produce ALL DOCUMENTATION TO PROVE THIS.

why?

i WILL CONTINUE TO BE A victim IF i DO NOT STAND UP FOR MY RIGHTS.

[Piper]

Calendar, I am going to try and answer your questions as simple as I can.


Power and Control, You seem to know that buskers are free just like we are.
Every politician, organization, anyone with money, our police force, our bylaw office, anyone in power or who has power are all connected.
We as buskers here in Nanaimo were and still are very successful Some buskers are not, Our knowledge of music exeeds any other busker in Nananaimo I can play any type of music and I have the ability to join any group and start playing no questions asked. On August 28th 2001 I was busking in a spot whith a valid license and obeying the bylaw the spot was on port property I was a half hour into my performance when along came a jazz band and told me I must move as they were their by invitation, I disputed what they were telling me and then the trouble started, Eventually the police came and made it quite clear that the jazz band were in violation of the street entertainers bylaw and could be fined up to $1300 Someone in power or with power decided that they would make life hell for me as a busker but they were not successful because I was good at what I was doing and and had to much support just like I have today. As I told you above they all are connected and it only takes one of these people to convince the rest to make life difficult for you. This is my oppinion and maybe not of others but there is no other reason for my family to have suffered abuse from anyone in power for just playing music legally and within the the scope of the law.

[Piper]

Queen of the waterfront your just to fast for me

[kickidee]

Im glad to see that it is not like this all over the world. If only Nanaimo is messed up like this it can be fixed.

[Piper]

Im glad to see that it is not like this all over the world. If only Nanaimo is messed up like this it can be fixed.

Kickidee It can be fixed and I pray that our meeting with the person who can possibly fix it is successful. I am looking at 26,000 the number of views on this thread in 8 months, I see over 1000 posts on this thread and I also see we are up to 105 pages. This is not all my writing or viewing nor is it Queen of the waterfront's. It is so clear and so obvoius that busking in Naniamo has the attention of many all over the world and there is a serious problem. Even if they modify the bylaw and we are part of it things will not change. When you look at no enforcement of violators everyday then the bylaw is not working.
If only me or my family are being threatened with violation tickets then this bylaw only applies to our family and no one else. This is WRONG WRONG WRONG and must be stopped and will be stopped if I have to challenge them till the day I die for sake of my kids in the future and for all future buskers.
I feel like I live in a box and saying yes sir, when sir, right now sir, ok sir, whatever you say sir. I am fearful just driving my vehicle on the street when the police pull in behind me wandering if they are going to invent something to charge me with. When I see a bylaw officer come along when I am busking I look at my phone to make sure I am not 2 minutes over my time or possibly go to jail if I am. No one should have to live like that and I am no exeption. I am 50 years old I have worked very hard all my life as a musician, as a husband as a father and as a friend. And once again I am talking to much but it is my way of getting out a lot of frustration and anger inside.

[Smokey©]

I fail to understand how an injuction which requires you to follow the bylaw is a hinderance? As long as you follow the bylaw everything is fine.