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UW Canada Day Celebrations Cancelled
#16
It does seem a strange move from that perspective. It's one of the more successful community-building endeavors from the city and a shame that they're stopping it.
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#17
What do you all think, would you be in favour of tax dollars funding something like this?
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#18
(01-17-2019, 08:34 PM)Spokes Wrote: What do you all think, would you be in favour of tax dollars funding something like this?

I thought my tax dollars was funding these things...

And actually, since I live in Kitchener, my tax dollars are funding the Kitchener version of this.

For the record, I am fine with that.
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#19
I got the impression the school had been paying for it
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#20
Yes … your tax dollars still (mostly) at work, but through the University's budget.
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#21
True.

But if they cancel it, will taxes go down? Unlikely.
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#22
Depending on the weather in Ottawa in a given year, this celebration is sometimes the largest gathering for Canada Day in the country. In past years, festivities began in earnest early in the afternoon with activities for kids, community information displays, vendors, food vendors and live performances. Depending on the year, the mixture varied but the day culminated with live music and ultimately the large fireworks display at 10:00. I find it hard to believe that the University felt that $250,000 was too much to spend for a large community party that attracted 55,000-60,000 people and built a lot of community goodwill.

While I know that it is easy to spend other people's money, if every Communitech member kicked in $180, it would cover the cost of the event.
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#23
(01-18-2019, 10:31 AM)nms Wrote: Depending on the weather in Ottawa in a given year, this celebration is sometimes the largest gathering for Canada Day in the country.  In past years, festivities began in earnest early in the afternoon with activities for kids, community information displays, vendors, food vendors and live performances. Depending on the year, the mixture varied but the day culminated with live music and ultimately the large fireworks display at 10:00. I find it hard to believe that the University felt that $250,000 was too much to spend for a large community party that attracted 55,000-60,000 people and built a lot of community goodwill.

While I know that it is easy to spend other people's money, if every Communitech member kicked in $180, it would cover the cost of the event.

Only if you are limiting your count to people in Parliament Square (it's limited to about 30,000 at a time, I think).  The estimates for the number of people who come to the Ottawa core for Canada Day celebrations are in the 350,000 to 500,000 range, iirc.
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#24
(01-18-2019, 10:31 AM)nms Wrote: Depending on the weather in Ottawa in a given year, this celebration is sometimes the largest gathering for Canada Day in the country.  In past years, festivities began in earnest early in the afternoon with activities for kids, community information displays, vendors, food vendors and live performances. Depending on the year, the mixture varied but the day culminated with live music and ultimately the large fireworks display at 10:00. I find it hard to believe that the University felt that $250,000 was too much to spend for a large community party that attracted 55,000-60,000 people and built a lot of community goodwill.

While I know that it is easy to spend other people's money, if every Communitech member kicked in $180, it would cover the cost of the event.

This was my first thought too.

It seems more like they just want to be done with it.

So if not there, if you were going to replace it, where's the next best location?
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#25
(01-18-2019, 11:07 AM)panamaniac Wrote:
(01-18-2019, 10:31 AM)nms Wrote: Depending on the weather in Ottawa in a given year, this celebration is sometimes the largest gathering for Canada Day in the country.  In past years, festivities began in earnest early in the afternoon with activities for kids, community information displays, vendors, food vendors and live performances. Depending on the year, the mixture varied but the day culminated with live music and ultimately the large fireworks display at 10:00. I find it hard to believe that the University felt that $250,000 was too much to spend for a large community party that attracted 55,000-60,000 people and built a lot of community goodwill.

While I know that it is easy to spend other people's money, if every Communitech member kicked in $180, it would cover the cost of the event.

Only if you are limiting your count to people in Parliament Square (it's limited to about 30,000 at a time, I think).  The estimates for the number of people who come to the Ottawa core for Canada Day celebrations are in the 350,000 to 500,000 range, iirc.

Easily.  As a student I remember walking through the market after fireworks and you couldn't take a step without bumping into someone.  It's nuts.
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#26
Quote:So if not there, if you were going to replace it, where's the next best location?
My first guess is Waterloo Park, around the bandshell area at the west side. But that's not nearly as big as North Campus.
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#27
(01-18-2019, 02:08 PM)KevinL Wrote:
Quote:So if not there, if you were going to replace it, where's the next best location?
My first guess is Waterloo Park, around the bandshell area at the west side. But that's not nearly as big as North Campus.

Actually, looking at a map, the spaces look comparable, I'm not sure what percentage of each space is open, vs. treed, but I think they're in the same ballpark. 

But I do think if we were ambitious, and we should be with an event with 60k people, an event that stretches between uptown and waterloo park should be possible....that would involve closing several major roads, but that shouldn't be a problem right?
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#28
Geographically speaking, the fireworks that are set off are seen for a 500m to 750m radius (ie as far away as Fisher-Hallman and Bearinger Roads). I'm not sure where else you can get that visibility plus access to roads and/or transit out the area within Waterloo.

While Waterloo Park looks to be the same size as the Columbia fields, there are an awful lot of trees in the way in Waterloo Park (not to mention an LRT line and some animals that could hinder some of the set up).
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#29
(01-26-2019, 11:35 PM)nms Wrote: Geographically speaking, the fireworks that are set off are seen for a 500m to 750m radius (ie as far away as Fisher-Hallman and Bearinger Roads).  I'm not sure where else you can get that visibility plus access to roads and/or transit out the area within Waterloo.

While Waterloo Park looks to be the same size as the Columbia fields, there are an awful lot of trees in the way in Waterloo Park (not to mention an LRT line and some animals that could hinder some of the set up).

They already do fireworks in Waterloo Park, during winter.
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