RAVE ROUTED

Organizers of a rave were chased out of South Bruce Peninsula last week
when council there obtained a court order preventing one anywhere in the
municipality and when Chatsworth politicians learned Thursday night their
arena had just been booked by a rave organizer, they cancelled the booking
immediately. ``There will be no rave at the community centre,'' Mayor
Howard Greig said late Friday afternoon.

South Bruce Mayor Carl Noble said his community had enough of raves
following what was billed as the World Music Festival two years ago which
attracted 10,000 people, including Kieran Kelly, who died after wandering
away from the festival. His body was found a month later. Tests showed he
had ingested drugs.

``We were able to have it stopped before the people started arriving at a
particular place,'' said Noble, who learned about it when someone raised
the matter at a council meeting two weeks ago.

South Bruce Peninsula staff learned through flyers handed out in a bar and
a Web site for Abstract Productions that the rave was coming to a farm in
their municipality. Late Friday afternoon, that Web site said the party
would be moving to the Chatsworth Arena at 6 p.m. ``due to problems with
local law enforcement.''

However, Greig said police told the municipality about the nature of the
event and the booking was cancelled.

Greig said raves are unwelcome because of their reputation for trouble and
because bylaw requirements, the posting of a $5,000 deposit and promises of
adequate security weren't received.

Grey County OPP Const. Steve Starr said police will have to wait and see if
people expecting a rave will show up anyway.

``We're in the same position as everybody else at this point. All we can go
by is the facts we can uncover as things unfold.'' There are extra officers
on standby should they be needed, he said.

Greig hopes people don't start showing up at the arena. ``Their vacation
plans are going to get spoiled if that is the case because there will be
police presence and they will not get access to that building.''

Noble said the rave held near Sauble Beach two years ago was an expense to
the municipality in cleanup costs alone. But it's the illegal activity and
inconvenience that bothers him most.

``It's too bad that what happens at a rave . . . with the drugs and loud
music. The people who have to put up with the loud music weren't the ones
who wanted them there and they get no enjoyment from them.''

Efforts to reach a representative of Abstract Productions through its Web
site were unsuccessful.