Busking in Nanaimo

[queen of the waterfront]

Nostradama I love your spunk. i am a granny too .
I have 8 grandkids and I am still step dancing.
i never would have gone to council if it was not for the busking bylaw. I used to play at Peace marches and walk for women in take back the night marches.I wrote protest songs . I was a peaceful singing activist.
Since 2000 I have gone to dozens of council meetings, written letters to the editor, appeared on Raif Mair's show CHLY and CbC radio. There are many worthy causes worth speaking up about.
Last week I spoke on the cross gender guarding issue at council. it was hard to do but some things you have to make a stand on. The more I see every year with every council, the more I want to take part in what goes on in my town.

Yesterday Piper and I spent six hours with the kids and Piper's wife, setting up gear so the politititians could speak . The very same ones who took our microphones away from us in our busking shows.What irony! Little did they realise that when a person stands up for one issue they will stand up for all.

I hope you do go to council and speak. people like you are an important voice in our town, our province and our country.
Thanks Again

[Piper]

I am just back from my second busking shift today, I have thought lots about Paul Jackson who died at the homeless shelter a few years ago. Paul was a friend of mine for a long time we busked together lots of times, Many years ago we were busking at the coombs market My oldest son was 13 and we started to trade off with Paul between the Liquor store at Qualicum beach and the Coombs market. Eventually we left the market to Paul and we focussed on busking close to home which would be Nanaimo's waterfront. in 2003 the city pulled the plug on us so Queen of the waterfront bought a 12 volt amplifier to use for her voice. A short time later after we had done a fund raiser for the food bank I got a call from Scott at Music Max asking if I could stop by and see him. I went there and he handed me the same amplifier as Queen of the waterfront and told me that a local businessman had came in and paid cash for it and told Scott it was for The Cunningham family. He was so impressed with our music and knew we gave so much to the community this was our reward. It didn't last long as the city put in the new bylaw which banned us from using amplification but they allowed electric guitars and pianos to be amplified. the city also came up with a group license and we were the only group busking in Nanaimo at that time. Now does that tell you something? Even without amplification we still were doing incredibly well as buskers on the waterfront. We had local residents and tourists calling us to find out when we were going to be busking next. I think we were taking potential customers away from the port theatre to come watch us and give a couple of dollars instead of paying $30 a show at the theatre. I'm sure anyone who has looked at our videos produced by Valerie Mumford will agree we can put on a show anytime thats equivelent to the port theatre shows. My next move is to go on a tv talk show hosted by a person from Scotland I am sure he will be intrested in our story I will also be contacting W5 as they offered to help us when this busking problem began. Thank you to everyone who views this thread and for all the posts I'm sure this is the hottest thread on the forum.

[Piper]

The email below has just been sent out to over 120 people including our current premier and a large number of politicians locally, provicially & federally I have edited thier email addresses because of privacy issues. I have also sent it off to the Nanaimo news bulletin.






From: cathy davis (cdavis347@hotmail.com)
Sent: April 5, 2009 9:46:18 PM
To: cathy davis (quiensgambit2@shaw.ca)


I am hoping that all who read this will help us stand up for free speech.
Thanks
cathy Davis
----- Original Message -----
From: quiensgambit2@shaw.ca
To: PWalton@nanaimodailynews.com
Sent: Sunday, April 05, 2009 8:38 PM
Subject: Charter challenge


Hi Paul.
You are my favorite reporter so I like to give you a heads up when I can.

Last Thursday morning we went to see a very high profile Charter of Rights lawyer about the injunction and the busking bylaw.We spoke about Freedom Of Speech and the use of Public Walkways by the public. Everything he told us fits with what I have always believed.The city has no more right to regulate music than they have to regulate speech. Music is entrenched in our charter. There has not been a challenge yet in Canada.

The lawyer is willing to take on our case, to remove the injunction. strike down the bylaw and take the case back into court. The city tried to sue us for costs and damages at the same time they got the injunction. We were never allowed to defend ourselves in court as the City of Nanaimo dropped their case. We need to raise $5,000.00 for the lawyer to do this. Bert King will be taking all monies collected in trust for the court case. We know we can do this. Already people are sending donations. This case is being covered in Ireland , Scotland and other countries such as Germany.THe Nanaimo Information forum has 28,000 hits on the busking thread and grows bigger every day.

Adam Baker was given 7 twenty one day sentences for breach of this bylaw . I believe that is a crime. This may be the biggest court case to ever hit Nanaimo. I have 8 binders of evidence including all the newspaper articles , pictures and letters to the editor over the years.

Yesterday we facilitated the homeless rally allowing the very same polititians that took our amplification away to use our microphones . How Ironic! After spending six hours playing for the homeless and making sure all the polititians got to speak James was given a ticket by a Robbins parking guy when he was loading the equipment. No wonder people hate to go downtown.

I am moved to write you today because Frank Schalla the old accordion player from the waterfront died on March 31st. My last memory of him is at the Ice cream shop when he asked why the South American BAnd was allowed to play when he as a licenced busker was not allowed. The police were called and I will never forget the tears in that old man's eyes. His wife was in the hospital and busking was his only joy.That was taken away from him by the Street Entertainers bylaw and the Port Authority.

Thanks Paul
Cathy Davis


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[Nostradama]

Members of City Council live in various parts of the city and of course, John Ruttan, our Mayor, lives in Lantzville. Councillors live in College Heights (Johnstone), East Wellington (McNabb), Townsite (Kipp), Stewart (Bestwick), Country Club (Sherry), North-end (Unger) and two live in Departure Bay (Pattje and Holdom). Quite a diversed lot.

So basically, with the exception of Johnstone (who's "above it all," I'd say, living in College Heights) there's no one representing the area beginning approximately at the northern end of Commercial Street, all the way to the southern boundary of Nanaimo? IMHO, none of them really has a grasp of life in that whole area, which is a vibrant community. Unless they work there, and working in a place and living in a place are two different things. But at least it does seem more diverse than it has in the past.

[queen of the waterfront]

Just a note on the fundraising efforts. I received an email this morning from some folks in Parksville who have pledged $400.00. i have a hundred already as well as twenty from an anonymous forum donor towards the Society.Thats ten percent already. Piper is thinking about doing an accordion marathon. Anyone else have ideas?

And just so you all know that we are on the up and up all funds are going into a trust fund at Bert King's office . You can see the books anytime just PM me.

I am thrilled and grateful for such a speedy response.

THE BEAT OF THE STREET -TURNING NEGATIVES INTO POSITIVES

[Piper]

24 hours of none stop accordion music performed by James and John Cunningham. We will do 2 hour shifts each for 24 hours none stop. This is the plan and we will be looking for pledges and donations the first thing I must do is find a place to hold this accordion marathon. If anyone has any ideas of where we can hold this venue please let us know.

[queen of the waterfront]

How about in front of the Convention Centre? HA HA

[Piper]

From one busker to another here is an email I sent out today To a former busker Elvis Costello.
Dear Mr Costello, It's very intresting to learn that you were once a busker. I to am a busker here in Nanaimo and I busk with my family on Nanaimo's waterfront. I'm not sure how you were regulated as a busker but here in Nanaimo BC we are over regulated. In 2003 my family of buskers protested the new busking bylaw for the city of Nanaimo and were given $300 in fines, We disputed the fines and were taken to court and an injuction was put in place by a BC supreme court judge. I look at all musicians as family as we all share our love for music and need to support each other. I had the pleasure of performing on Dianna Krall Plaza here in Nanaimo on Saturday doing a rally for the homeless here in Nanaimo. I am going to give you a link to a blog I started back in June of last year about our busking troubles and it has had over 28,000 views since then and over 1200 posts. http://www.nanaimoinformation.com/fo...ead.php?t=3427 We are looking for support from musicians, buskers, & the public to have this bylaw struck down and allow us the right to perform on the streets without the threat of going to jail for expressing ourselves with our music. here is a sample of what we do.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...deoid=55136662 Please help us in our fight to elliminate a bylaw that violates our rights as street entertainers. Thank you James Cunningham Nanaimo BC

[Piper]

Below is a list of people who are famous and were at one time buskers I will contact all of them if I have to for support
Amy Bell
Annie Raines
Barenaked Ladies
B B King
Beck
Benjamin Franklin
Bernie Mac
Bill Robinson (Mr.Bojangles)
Billy Bragg
Blind Lemon Jefferson
Blue Man Group
Bob Dylan
Bob Hope
Bon Jovi
Brian Jones
Champion Jack Dupree
Cirque Du Soleil
Country Joe McDonald
Damien Rice
David Byrne (Talking Heads)
David Gilmour
Dixie Chicks
Django Reinhardt
Dolly Parton
Donovan
Edith Piaf
Elliot Smith
Elvis Costello
Eric Clapton
The Flying Karamotsov's
George Burns
George Jones
Gerry Rafferty,
Hank Williams
Harry Anderson
Hayley Westenra
Huey Lewis
Irving Berlin
James Morrison
James Blundell
Janis Joplin
Jeremy Irons
Jerry Jeff Walker
Jewel
Jill Hennessy
Jimmy Buffett
Joan Baez
Joaquin Phoenix
John Butler
Joni Mitchell
Josephine Baker
Judy Collins
Kanye West
KT Tunstall
Kila
Leadbelly
Lena Lovich
Leonard Cohen
Long John Baldry
Lou Reed
Louis Armstrong
Madeleine Peyroux
Manic Street Preachers
Marcel Marceau
Mary Lou Lord
Memphis Minnie
Muddy Waters
Neil Young
Norah Jones
Q’Orianka Kilcher
Opera Babes
Patch Adams
Patti Smith
Paul Bettany
Paul McCartney
Penn & Teller
Pierce Brosnan
Rain Phoenix
River Phoenix
Rob Perry (Dead Can Dance)
Robert Johnson
Rod Stewart
Rolf Harris
Ronnie Benice
Russell Crowe
Sheilds and Yarnell
Sheryl Crow
‘Sid‘ (Roger) Barrett
Sophie Tucker
Spencer Davis
Stéphane Grappelli,
Steve Martin
Stomp
Simon and Garfunkel
T-Bone Walker
The Pogues
Toby Keith,
Tracy Chapman
The Violent Femmes
Wavy Gravy
WC Fields
The Wiggles
Woody Guthrie

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN was a busker of sorts.

[queen of the waterfront]

Check out the Dusty Buskers on My Space
They are great I contacted them and Neil Young today. I am going to contact U2 as well as Chantelle craviasic if I can ever spell her name
Also ourLady Peace, JAn Arden. and I contacted Feist today as well.