EX OFFICIALS WANT TO MEET POLICE CHIEF OVER RAVES

24 Partiers Face Drug Charges After Weekend Event

Exhibition Place officials want to meet with Toronto's police chief to
discuss teenage raves after 24 party-goers were arrested on drug charges
outside an Easter weekend event.

"We should take this opportunity to sit down with police Chief Julian
Fantino to see what we can do to improve the situation," said Councillor
Joe Pantalone (Trinity Niagara), chair of the Ex's board of governors.

Pantalone said having a legal venue for parties offers police and the city
better control and supervision of the activities.

"I don't like raves either and I don't like drugs in our society, but the
question is how you deal with that and not whether you like it or not," he
said.

"If people can show me a rave has more drugs going on than a club in
downtown, I'll sure look at (prohibiting) it at Exhibition Place."

Pantalone said he would try today to arrange a meeting with Fantino.

"I would like to know from our chief what his experience is with young
people and drugs, where the comparative statistics are of different venues
for such parties and what we can do so we can do the job better," he said.

Last weekend's event, which ran from 8 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. the next
morning, was organized by Goin' Deep Productions and attracted more than
8,000 people to the Better Living Centre at Exhibition Place.

Police seized a quantity of drugs, including ecstasy, crystal
methamphetamine, crack cocaine and marijuana, and laid 57 charges.

Pantalone said the venue has been used for rave parties since 1998 and the
city has strict health and safety protocol in place to be followed by event
organizers.

In addition to private security guards, rave promoters are required to hire
70 paid-duty officers and ensure the presence of ambulances and paramedics
in case of emergency.

"In fact, there was no violence, injury or vandalism. It's a well-run,
well-managed and well-controlled operation," Pantalone said.

"Of course, one arrest is too many, but these things are usually relative
and you treat it as such."

It was the third rave held at the location this year.

Pantalone said rentals for raves make up about $100,000 of the Ex's $30
million annual gross revenue.