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Council Gives Enforcers the Green Light

By 250 News

Prince George City Council has taken another look at the Battle of the Hockey enforcers, and this time, voted in favour of letting the show go on.   This time, all but Councilor Skakun  voted to let the event go ahead.

Fearing a lawsuit from the Promoter, ( Darryl Wolski), Council reconsidered the canning of the August 27th event at the request of Mayor Kinsley.

Kinsley has been in discussion with the Promoter since last Wednesday's special Council meeting when Councilors voted 5-3 in favour of cancelling the show. Still, even with that vote, the city owned CN Centre continued to promote the show, and Ticketmaster continued accepting orders for tickets.   

Here's how the Councilors saw the issue this time 'round:

Councillor Cliff Dezell says the cancellation exposes the City to a significant risk and although he dislikes violence in hockey, says the City has gone too far on the matter, so he could not support cancelling the show.

Citing a clear split in the community, Councillor Sherry Sethen said while some may say revisiting the item shows the Council is unable to make a decision and stick with it, but she says, instead, it should  be looked at as a Council that has some flexibility.  

She believes she now has more information available to make a decision, especially on the liability risk issues.  "Personally I don't support the event, but that is not the motion on the table,I am voting on what is thebest scenario for the city that will cause the least amount of harm to the city"  This time she voted in favour of the event going ahead.

Councilor Don Basserman said "It takes a big person to admit they made a mistake, I made a mistake, I will be reversing my position from last week."

Councilor Murry Krause, "I would like to apologize to the Athletic Commission for putting them in the position  they found themselves in, they were just doing their job.  I still don't believe  the need for gratuitous violence, so I will not be changing my vote."

Councilor Don Zarowski  "I am not going to change the way I voted  last week.  I don't want to be involved in a government that does not live up to its committments.  My decision tonight, will be consistant with the decision I made last wednesday, I will not be supporting the cancellation of the event." 

Councilor Skakun "I have sought legal advice outside of chambers, clearly from the outline of the bylaw, this is not a boxing or wrestling match,  There are too many unknowns.  This is a promotion of violence in our community,  and if our bylaw is challenged, the legal issues stand."

Councilor Dan Rogers "It will be the people who ultimately decide if this event is a succes, I will be supporting the event going ahead."

Councilor Glen Scott:  "The least risk for the City is for the event to go ahead, so I will be changing my vote and allowing this diplorable event to go ahead"

Mayor Kinsley  " I appreciate my Council colleagues reexamining this issue.  There has been a lot of talk about the bylaw,  our Commission in it's wisdom, came to us in February  and asked us if we approved their new mandate, and  they've done their job.  There will be some wounds to heal, but if we are a little rough and tumble  up here in the north, well, hey, that is why people live here.  On the morning of August 28th, the sun shall rise, and this too will pass."

Administration  beleives that according to all the information received there is no obvious reason for the City to consider cancellation of the event.
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