City council reverses ban on EDM events at the CNE

City council voted 31-4 on Thursday afternoon to reverse a ban recently placed on EDM events at the Exhibition grounds. The ban, which was initially voted in by the Ex board, drew controversy in the wake of reports that it was less about protecting young ravers from their own drug-fuelled partying than about helping out Muzik Nightclub, which also operates on CNE grounds.

Muzik, you will recall, has also placed host to some of Rob Ford's more legendary party nights, and the speculation is that mayor and the club's owner, Zlatko Starkovski, are friendly. Councillor Mike Layton, who was responsible for getting a possible reversal of the ban on council's agenda, noted that the decision was a rash one. Judging by the strong oppositional vote -- only Councillors Crawford, Grimes, Pasternak and Robinson voted to keep the ban in place) -- this view was widely held by his fellow councillors.

"All the evidence I have seen says that holding these events at Exhibition Place is safer," Councillor Gord Perks said after council vote. Perks, a member of the Ex board and opponent of the ban from the get go, has a point. EDM events on city property have additional security and safety measures not required of private venues. With Ford in rehab (maybe, probably) and sensibility restored on this issue, perhaps now I won't have write the word Muzik for a while. One can only hope.

by Derek Flack via blogTO