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 DRAGON BOAT RACING may be snuffed out in False Creek unless a new facility is built to accommodate the sport that attracts thousands of paddlers to the area. (file photo) |
Vancouver's long-running Dragon Boat Festival is in danger of capsizing without help from City Hall.
Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society chair Jas Kalsi sent a troubling letter to city council yesterday stating the festival will be squeezed out of their iconic False Creek location - where they've been paddling since Expo 86 - by development unless the city approves a permanent boathouse.
"We're running out of time and space," Kalsi told 24 hours. "This is something we've been asking for the last 10 years, but we haven't seen a commitment."
Council is expected to receive a staff report on the future of False Creek in the next few weeks, and Kalsi prays dragon boats will be included. If not, the festival may be forced to relocate to another city.
"There are alternatives but False Creek is the place to be," he said. "We want to be a part of the area. Sponsors are prepared the finance the boathouse, so it's really about getting councillors to make that commitment."
Coun. Raymond Louie called the festival a "mainstay of the city" and assured council is committed to the event.
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A facility is under construction to support boating in the creek, although it's not big enough to accommodate the festival's needs.
Those demands should be met by a planned creek-side extension that includes permanent space for up to 18 dragon boats, but only once Concord Pacific decides to develop the land.
"[Council] is working as fast as we can," said Louie. "The uncertainty is when this will happen. With the economy, we're not sure when Concord Pacific will move ahead."
The 21st annual Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival commences this weekend.
The annual event generates an estimated $2.4 million for the local economy.