Busking in Nanaimo

[Piper]

So did you get an email from bylaws yet?
They said they need two weeks notice for the buskers to get together at our last meeting.

i did get a phone call. They didnt ask if it was convenient for me. i did give the lady my email address and still no email of confirmation.
If they are really are interested in the stake holders of downtown why did Bruce Barnard know nothing about it?

Eric McLean knew nothing about it either and MAtt Hussman didnt even know who "Veneta" was.

Kim Smythe the gentleman we met at council knows absolutely nothing about a review or the bylaws.That is not an oversight on his part he just has not been informed.
perhaps we should conduct our own survey of downtown merchants and residents to see if they have even heard from bylaws?

No Email, No phone call
Queen, May I suggest that you carry your certificate with you that confirms you are a certified Nanaimo ambassador before doing a survey. I have a program on my computer that can print a catchy nametag for you with anything you want on it or any logo.

[queen of the waterfront]

I already have my busking badges. Actually I think I have a name tag from Parks and Rec somewhere from when i did all those hours of volunteer work with the day care program at Beban and the Teddy Bears program at Bowen.

[calendar]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lI3U...eature=related

My youngest daughter will go next monday (over France) to London for one
week.

The teacher promised them to have a lot of time for the music scene,
also for buskers. I hope she will make some films for me of buskers.
I am a little bit jealous, but she will enjoy London and the music scene.

They will go also to a concert in the evening.

What a busker place in the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sdgZ...eature=related

Brighton Superrrrrr!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyvzz...eature=related

[Piper]

Today was the first meeting with buskers and bylaw staff to review the current street entertainers bylaw and gather input from buskers on how the bylaw should be modified. Rosswho plays electric guitar spoke basically about changing the way sound is measured in the bylaw and asked to have sound measured in decibels instead of watts.
Brunie Bruinie who ran for city council spoke about a provincial license to accommodate traveling buskers. She also told bylaws that she was not in favour of amplification, and asked for more spots for downtown and finally her last suggestion was that the Port Authority come on side with buskers and that they should respect buskers more cooperatively.
Tim Landers who also ran for council touched on many issues including interim licenses for traveling buskers, yes to amplification,elliminate group licenses, more spots for downtown, And also encouraged bylaw to ask the Port authority to respect buskers and comply with the street entertainers bylaw.
Dean who plays electric guitar and has not busked since the last review Agrees with most of the other suggestions but also focused on Port authority allowing unlicensed buskers on the waterfront. He also said that Businesses need to get on board with buskers, and he looks forward to busking again in Nanaimo.
Bill Poppy Our Nanaimo piper covered many areas of the bylaw suggesting that the current bylaw is over regulated, buskers need respect, agrees to no drinking while busking, ask about the motive behind the bylaw is it regulatory or punitive. He also said he is limited in where he can play and asked if more spots could be made available for his instrument. He asked for sheltered spots from the sun and rain, and indicated that buskers should look professional and perform as professionals.
I asked that the injunction be eliminated and made it quite clear that I was not in violation of the street entertainers bylaw at the time the injunction was put in place, I asked for more spots for buskers, Eliminate colours which all buskers agreed on, I asked that the port authority comply with the street entertainers bylaw as they are within the city of Nanaimo. I asked that the bylaw be created to give bylaw staff the power to change things without going to council for an amendment. I also asked that anyone who is consuming alcohol while busking lose their license permanently I was asked by Ross to move on as he seemed angry that I pushed this issue so much but in my opinion we don't need drunk buskers in Nanaimo. I also asked that the street entertainers bylaw be in effect from May 1st to August 31st for a 4 month period when busking is most active and use other bylaws which are in place to deal with busker problems the rest of the time such as the noise bylaw and the nuisance bylaw.
I think the meeting went well and we are starting off on the right track.

Since this post back on December 4th 2008, I have had several meetings with Randy Churchill of bylaw services and during these meetings he has insisted that the DNPS was a stakeholder in the downtown and had to be involved in the process of renewing Nanaimo's busking bylaw. Not so says Carroll Xavier Office Administrator at the DNPS (downtown nanaimo partnership society) who I met with today according to Carroll the DNPS has nothing to do with buskers. Now I think someone is feeding me a bunch of BS. which one is it? who do I believe? I got into a debate about buskers on port athority property who are unlicenced and amplified and just like Mike Davidson of The Port of Nanaimo told us there are special permits for unlicensed buskers on Port property that again is not true as she failed to show me such permits and directed me to the Port of Nanaimo website to find these permits which are not their. Carroll also indicated that it's a great thing that students can go out and earn money $50 paid by the port or port merchants to put into music programs for schools, but she forgot to mention busk without a license amplified in a non busking spot. I agreed thats wonderfull but don't busk in a spot that I have paid for without a license and expect me to move off of a spot that I have paid for. Don't ask me to buy a busking license and obey the busking bylaw while other non licensed buskers can busk wherever they choose with no enforcement. Her answer to me was why don't you go get a job. I am on provincial dissabilty for health reasons and busking is my job. How my 5 kids would have loved to have been able to raise money in school to buy accordions so they would have instruments to play but unfortunately school music programs do not include accordions so I as a parent on disability pension end up buying the instruments for my kids with my busking money just like any other parent should do if their child who wants to be a musician most of them have more money than I do. The more I write about it the more I think I am being shafted so for now I will leave it at that.

[queen of the waterfront]

You forgot to mention that your kids helped buy their own shoes, clothes and earned their own spending money. You also forgot to mention that no one thought of that space as a performance spot until my two boys and I started drawing crowds.

What a load of baloney!
i sent a letter to Matt Hussman and City Council. You are being spun brother!

[Piper]

On a brighter note, Music can allways make you feel better when you have had a tough day and my music will never be taken from me and I will continue to share it as I have done for over 40 years and I don't plan to stop for at least another 40. Here is what I'm listening to tonight I hope you like it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAPpwBE8q0c
Tommorrow may be better who knows?

[kickidee]

I do not like the sounds of the runaround you are getting. Reminds me of the classic Mom and Dad scene where dad tells you to go ask mom and mom says its up to dad and you never really get an answer.

[Piper]

I have just posted on a new thread a bit about busking as questions were being asked about busking spots. The thread started by Rick is called

How about it eh, spare a thought I will copy it to this thread as it is about busking in Nanaimo.


Rick I would like to answer the question put forward by Complicated about busking spots in the old city quarter, In 2003 there was a busking spot put on the corner of Wesley & fitzwiliam which has been covered over by a cement garbage can, there was also a busking spot in front of the Oxy hotel which has been removed. When I contacted Veneta Roberge at bylaw services to find out why these 2 spots were not available for buskers she did not have an answer for for me. As you continue down Fitzwilliam the next busking spot is across from the youth centre under a tree which I have never used. the next busking spot is across the bridge by the parkade which I have used twice but run into competition by panhandlers so I didn't go back. I have Talked to Matt at the DNPS and told him that good quality buskers will bring people to downtown and the old city qaurter if they would lighten up a bit on the busking bylaw it could happen. Bruce Bernard president of NCCA also is intrested in a busking spot beside his business as is Eric McKlean of the OCQA. And I'm sure Rick that as a knowledgable busker I can suguest good spots for buskers in the area where you manage properties. It's very simple and would take 2 days to put it together. Buskers are good for businesses and they do attract people. It's a fact and I can show you many places around the world where busking promotes business. the rest of the changes are up to the DNPS and the NCCA and the OCQA who I know are willing and ready to work with buskers. My oppinion Cheers

[Smokey©]

Moved from another discussion

In 2003 there was a busking spot put on the corner of Wesley & fitzwiliam which has been covered over by a cement garbage can, there was also a busking spot in front of the Oxy hotel which has been removed. When I contacted Veneta Roberge at bylaw services to find out why these 2 spots were not available for buskers she did not have an answer for for me.

I thought that even if a spot was covered or in case of the Modern Cafe, blocked by tables you could play as close as possible and still follow the bylaws. Are the maps a part of the bylaws or a separate part. I would ask for an up-to-date map of spots and play as close as possible. That would be following the bylaw, you would think!

[Piper]

Moved from another discussion



I thought that even if a spot was covered or in case of the Modern Cafe, blocked by tables you could play as close as possible and still follow the bylaws. Are the maps a part of the bylaws or a separate part. I would ask for an up-to-date map of spots and play as close as possible. That would be following the bylaw, you would think!

Smokey the maps are called schedule B and seem to be part of the bylaw as an attachment. The bylaw does not say how far away from the spot you can perform But it's not right Smokey to give buskers an area to perform then take it away and say I'm not sure why that happened No explanation.