The African Descent Festival was called off at the last minute after the Vancouver Park Board refused to issue a permit. Organisers say the decision has cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars,

Vancouver

The African Descent Festival, which was expected to attract over 40,000 attendees and 150 vendors to English Bay in Vancouver, was cancelled after the Vancouver Park Board refused to issue a permit. The board stated that organisers did not meet required planning, safety, and financial obligations in time, referencing outstanding policing costs from previous events. 

Organisers claim they had arranged a settlement plan and paid deposits, but were still denied a permit. The park board offered to relocate or postpone the event, but both options were declined. Organisers now plan to protest what they describe as an inequitable and unjust refusal by the board.

African Descent Festival cancelled after refused permit

So, as you can see, we use this beach, the setup, it starts right from here, where we are standing. Festival founder Yasin Kiraga says this stretch of English Bay should have been bustling by Saturday evening, with food vendors, a main stage and tens of thousands of people gathering to celebrate African culture. They proceeded to construct the barricades. You can see them and all those bridges you see there. Instead, barricades and park rangers are here to stop production trucks from coming in. The Vancouver Park Board says it restricted access to commercial loading zones because the event didn't have a permit. And that's because organisers did not meet the required planning, safety and financial obligations in time to support a safe and permitted event at English Bay. The board didn't elaborate on what these requirements were, but organisers say they relate to outstanding policing costs for past events. Kiraga says they arranged a settlement plan with Vancouver Police, paid deposits and still weren't granted a permit. They said that the park board does not have enough resources, police and their own resources to support the African descent festival 2025. The festival has been held since 2015, traditionally at Thornton Park, but construction of the new St Paul's Hospital nearby has made access there difficult. Organisers moved to English Bay in 2023, saying the beach carries added meaning. The legacy of Joe Fortes, who patrolled the area as Vancouver's first lifeguard in the 1890s. One of the Vancouver pioneers, African descent pioneers, Joe Fortes was the first lifeguard at this beach. The park board says they offered to relocate the event back to Thornton Park or postpone it, but both options were declined. Kiraga says cancelling this late has damaged the festival's reputation. We have been spending here close to a million dollars. This year's event was expected to draw more than 40,000 people and 150 vendors. Park board says no conditional permit had been issued, so neither the board nor the city would be responsible for financial losses. Organisers say they plan to stage a protest over what they describe as the park board's inequitable and unjust refusal to grant a permit. Sauri Chetri, CBC News, Vancouver.

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