RAVES ON RESERVES NOT SCORING HIGH MARKS

Chilliwack Teen Was Stabbed On Saturday Night

Big-city party promoters are using local Indian reserves to host raves that
are drawing thousands of people.

And there's not much anyone can do about the drugs, alcohol and traffic
problems that accompany them

"I'm not raving about raves," says Mayor John Les. "One problem is they
don't need permits on the reserve so we don't have the tools available to
do anything. This is pretty concerning. When you have a whole lot of people
in one place at one time, you have the ingredients for problem."

Last Saturday night saw up to 10,000 young people converge at an abandoned
gravel pit on the Soowahlie Indian Reserve near Cultus Lake. And even
though one man was stabbed and sent to hospital, RCMP chose not to attend.

Mayor Les adds RCMP are allowed on the reserve because they are a federal
force, but often choose not to.

"Their presence would probably cause more trouble than there all ready
was," he says.

Sergeant Brent Bloxham says the RCMP were well aware of the party and had
members in the perimeter stopping cars coming and going.

"There were a lot of drugs and alcohol confiscated," he says.

And though he can't confirm it, the assumption is there were a lot of drugs
and alcohol on site as well.

He says two weeks ago another party on the same reserve had about 2,000 in
attendance. "Raves are becoming a real problem."

Larry Commodore of the Soowahlie Reserve was unavailable for comment at
press time.