Shambhala Music Festival: Before and After
By Suzy Hamilton
As excitement and numbers build for the 17th Shambhala Music Festival August 8-11 at a ranch outside Salmo, concerns over the security and safety of festivalgoers heighten in light of the recent death at the Pemberton Music Festival.
Foul play has been ruled out in the death of 21-year-old Nick Phongsavath, but the tragedy underscores the risks of bringing huge numbers of people together, who are partying for days with little sleep and often using drugs and alcohol.
“Nothing is changing here as a result of Pemberton,” said Shambhala communications officer Mitchell Scott. “We’re ready for anything and everything. Over the past 17 years we have put a lot of effort into all our systems.
“A major difference between Shambhala and Pemberton is that we do not allow any alcohol at the event.”
Also banned from the festival are glass, fire, generators, lasers, illegal substances, motorized vehicles, pets and weapons.
Police say that communications are “excellent” with festival organizers. They are confident that the security systems in place for the festival that draws some 10,000 electronic music lovers and 3000 staff are adequate.
There have been two deaths at Shambhala in the past two years — one from a drug overdose and the other death was inconclusive although it is known that the woman had a heart condition.
RCMP said a major concern is fatigue after the event. At least one fatality and serious highway accidents have occurred as a result of drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
“Shambhala has been really good, they want festival goers to get home safe so they have extended the hours so they can stay longer and get some rest,” said RCMP Sgt. Darryl Little.
Little said additional staff would be checking motorists’ license and registrations heading for Shambhala and looking for signs of illegal drug and alcohol use. Once at the festival, Shambhala is responsible for security.
Nelson City Police face different situations.
As pre and post festivalgoers descend on Nelson, affordable accommodations become problematic.
Nelson City Police Chief Wayne Holland said the department adds extra foot patrols to deal with festival tourists sleeping on the beaches and parks. A spike in park activities is already occurring he said.
“Ninety percent are very co-operative once we interact with them,” said Chief Holland, who said officers “move people along to the appropriate areas.”
No one is allowed to sleep on the beach or in city parks after 10 p.m.
“We do keep stats on people coming through town and we do have complaints from the public,” said Holland, adding that crimes are more of a street disorder and crowd nature than “purposeful criminality.”
And herein lies the problem, says Pastor Jim Reimer of the Kootenay Christian Fellowship. Reimer’s Fellowship offers many community services, including Our Daily Bread, a soup kitchen that feels the brunt of the spike in population before and after the festival.
“Thirty or 40 additional people can make a big difference to us at Our Daily Bread,” Reimer said.
With the closure of so-called Railtown, a squat on CPR land recently dismantled Nelson and Canadian Pacific Police and the Ministry of Highways, Reimer is advocating for a Free Camp close to Nelson on Crown land.
Unlike Railtown, it would be staffed and stocked with running water, outhouses and garbage disposal. The camp would be available for not only festivalgoers but also tourists and residents who cannot afford accommodations in Nelson.
Reimer is concerned for the year round resident who may be mentally challenged and cannot afford rent.
“It’s ludicrous that we give $906 a month to someone who is mentally ill and say, ‘now survive,’” he said.
“Why don’t we create a community instead of a knee jerk reaction,” Reimer added. “Could we not have said to all players, ‘we’ve got a problem, now how are we going to solve this?’
The idea has merit, said Chief Holland, who is open to discussion.
“We can always improve on things,” he said.
Shambhala’s Scott agrees: “The festival recognizes there are a lot of people coming through town. We like to think it’s quite positive. If the city is able to open its doors to allow festivalgoers to feel welcome, that’s a positive direction.”
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