UPDATE: This does not directly affect Digital Dreams, as noted by a direct source "Digital Dreams Festival does not take place on CNE Grounds. It's part of the Ontario Place property that is leased by Live Nation!"
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So just to recap what happened today: Muzik, backed by councillor Giorgio Mammoliti lobbied city council to stop "EDM" festivals from happening on city grounds.
They used the "save the kids" line...saying "drug pushers and pedophiles (yes, pedophiles) are frequenting these events and someone will die (yes, they actually said that) and the board of the ex voted 4-3 to stop EDM events on city property.
Now not only is this disgusting, since you trivialize and show that you don't even know what the definition of pedophilia is and the absolute harm that comes from that, but you also show you don't care about FACTS because the public health spokesperson testified that people often get drugs from people they know, not "drug pushers" at events.
This also sets a precedent for anything on city property in general.
What it REALLY means is this war on nightlife that's been kicked into high gear is reaching way beyond the "douchey nightclubs" that many downtown Torontonians "hate".
Like I said in my last article, these people don't really care for nightlife of any kind. They use the "douchey nightclubs" as the main bad guys, but that moves onto other cool little bars, and festivals.
if you love nightlife in this city, whether it's Queen West or "douchey" King West, you need to get on side.
The anti-fun mentality at city hall needs to change. We need to put people into office that care about our industry and the jobs and tax revenue it creates. Clubbing is NOT a crime and it''s high time we stopped being treated that way.
This is also a good example of what lobbying is (the owner of MUZIK was joined by a rep from SUSSEX STRATEGY one of the largest lobbying groups in Canada), and how our system can be used to help certain businesses while harming others, while hiding behind "moral" arguments...even if that same "moral" person (Mammoliti) wanted to turn the island into a brothel and put a casino there.
KB