S? Fires Mania*
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> S? fires Mania* n the spring of 1971, the Prince early 1970s, hippies and drugs were were expected at Charlottetown, I Edward Island legislature hast- among the many perceived threats forcing local authorities to set up ily passed an "Act to Provide for to the "Island way of life." a youth hostel. In 1971 youth, the Prohibition of Certain Public especially hippies, were associated Gatherings." Also known as the with drugs, hedonism and idleness. "Public Order Act/; the law, aimed Discouraging the Hippie Ironically, the Liberal government at preventing a rock concert in of 37-year-old Alex Campbell was Parkdale, was denounced by civil Haven also associated with youthfulness. Its libertarians and the national media recent throne speech had promised An important part of the Island's commitments to education and ecol- as unconstitutional, undemocratic economic strategy depended on and repressive. Others criticized it as ogy and a policy statement on the attracting tourists to beaches, cot- non-medical use of drugs. Campbell an "anti-hippie" measure that would tages, parks, lobster suppers and perpetuate the "generation gap" planned to triple the value of tour- dramatic performances such as Anne ism by 1978 but promised that and discourage young tourists from of Green Gables. By 1971 Canada's visiting the Island. The hippie, real economic development would not Baby Boom had peaked, with up to "undermine our social values." or imagined, was a dropout from two million high school and college society who did not work, wash, students looking forward to the sum- The event that sparked the cut his or her hair or respect author- mer. Restless youth culture, influ- national controversy, and prompted ity. Hippies did not own cars, eat in enced by the hippie lifestyle as well a national radio show host to dub restaurants or stay in hotels. Worse as Prime Minister Trudeau;s sugges- Prince Edward Island the "uptight still, they took drugs and practised tion that young people "see Canada," little Island," was Junction '71. free love. To the consternation of meant that tens of thousands of Starting in February, two local pro- the authorities, by the late 1960s hitchhikers were crisscrossing the moters planned a rock festival at hippies and young North Americans nation equipped with little more the arena in the village of Parkdale, in general were gathering in large, than idealism and sleeping bags. a Charlottetown suburb that hosted multi-day rock festivals such as Several thousand young "transients" events such as cattle shows and Altamont and Woodstock. By the Old Home Week. Given subsequent 10 weekend. A committee of the PEI innocent people." Pantry, the top Medical Society was less moralistic, Mountie on the Island, had been but warned that "acid rock" legiti- posted in Washington for three mized drug use, that thousands of years, and was well acquainted "speed freaks" roamed the streets of with the problems associated with Halifax, that the Island lacked prop- mass rock festivals. He also blamed er emergency medical facilities and the influx of youth in tourism with that Junction '71 "was not in the best petty thefts and break-ins at tourist interests of the youth of the island." cottages and camps. In March of According to a statement issued 1971 RCMP Corporal Brennan by organizers Culyer Cotton and contacted the PEI Department of Doug MacArthur, when news had Consumer Services, advising that arrived that the clergy planned to legal reasons be found to block the denounce the concert from their pul- planned event in Parkdale. In order pits, Premier Campbell had ended a to convince the government of the meeting and announced that the full seriousness of the situation, J divi- event would not take place. sion of the P.CMP sent 150 "lurid" photographs, and a 40-minute film - courtesy of the FBI - of vari- ous hippie excesses committed at Woodstock and other rock festivals. L Division had been sent a detailed report, "Law Enforcement-Rock Attorney General Gordon Bennett Festivals," from the RCMP Assistant Commissioner, Criminal Investigation fears of sex, drugs and rock and at national headquarters. The 75-man roll, the lineup appeared relatively RCMP division provided provin- harmless. It consisted of Canadian cial policing under contract on the pop group Edward Bear whose hits Island and enforced federal statutes included "You, Me and Mexico," the such as the "Narcotics Control Act." group Ocean whose song "Put Your The document portrayed rock con- Hand in the Hand," penned by Gene certs as a major threat to law and MacLellan, sold two million copies, order, a looming enforcement chal- and folk singer Bruce Cockburn who lenge for the 1970s. Detachments had performed on the soundtrack of were urged to persuade local offi- the film Goin Down the Road. Also cials not to permit the events. It on the bill were Maritime rockers claimed that the "types of persons" Pepper Tree ("Love Is a Railroad") in attendance were prone to violence and Sam Moon and the Universal Power. The youthful promoters, who thought that they had pro- ceeded through the proper channels, planned to donate 50% of the gate to Premier Alex Campbell the Easter Seals Campaign. The first opposition came from the Parkdale village commission, which cited policing, traffic, pub- The Mounties vs. lic health and sanitation problems Rock and Roll associated with an event designed to attract up to 5,000 youth, includ- The exact origins of the law are not ing many from off-Island. Next came clear, but evidence suggests that a letter from 16 prominent clergy, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police based on what they'd heard of the played a role. By 197I; the RCMP dangers posed by rock festivals in across Canada was attempting to other parts of Canada. Fearful of block mass rock festivals and had a Prince Edward Island version of devised elaborate plans for spy- Woodstock, they warned of mass ing on and policing those events drug trafficking, displays of exhibi- which did take place. In his annual tionism, "increased escapism" and report, Superintendent L.G. Pantry the event's "exploitation" and lack of L Division (PEI) warned that of "morale building." Another nega- rock concerts were "tantamount tive point was that the event was to drug orgies, conducive to drug scheduled to take place on Easter pollution and misfortune to many PC House Leader George Dewar. 1 1 "do not intend to be ruled by outside NBTISH m immm m JBHCTIOH *II immim 71 mnmmrn^ political science professors and a THE FINES* IWTEBTAINMENT EVEE TO AjPFEAB IN THE MAKIIMES AT ONE T0IE minority of mixed up youths whose principal objectives in life seem to be entertainment and demonstrations against authority7' Editorials in the Patriot applauded the deterrent effect of Bill 55 on "instant demonstrators." The disappointed local organizers reluctantly agreed to a government- suggested compromise and scaled down their event to a smaller "folk festival" and "youth forum," which failed to attract more than 250 Of* people. The concerned clergy also opposed this event, which featured mm MILODY SAM MOON AND Bruce Cockburn and local singers Mike Mooney and Frank Turgeon. mm IFAIR Tp UNIVlRSAL POWB O The audience shivered in the cold .V.-v.' •• S T O R M ' " .. :•" . • : of the Kennedy Coliseum, watched it"" by undercover police. Statements IDf COLISElJI-CharlotMowii from the organizers and the premier APR! V 1 OHi & 11 tfc. Tmiet$ isaw Ajratabte «* Seller's end H. & C. differed on the sequence of events. J0%"OK'MbCO»t AM BEIN© D0NATIB TO THI1971 Campbell claimed that the govern- ment had cancelled the larger event . ' TSMMt;EASTER SEAL CAMPAIGN prior to the introduction of the immim m --'jiMiioi • 7i WHeTHSH; m JBWsnoi•• it mmnm 7t legislation; the organizers said that they were told only after Bill 55 had Guardian March 2, 1971. passed. and rioting, and included "agitators" chief being that the Campbell gov- Reaction to Bill 55 who verbally criticized uniformed ernment had acted to prevent large police. A recent joint RCMP- rock concerts from being institu- Meanwhile, based in large part at the Ontario Provincial Police operation tionalized on the Island. The law University of Prince Edward Island, had involved large numbers of gave the attorney general power to a local protest movement took shape. officers on checkpoints and in patrol ban any public gathering that, in his As the bill had been debated, young cars, plainclothes narcotics7 teams opinion, might disrupt public order demonstrators had gathered outside engaged in "buy and bust77 practices, or fail to be provided with adequate Province House, chanting "We Want and the recruitment of informers police, medical and other services. Freedom." Students, professors, from among concert employees and Organizers who broke the law could lawyers, business and community concessionaires. RCMP worries not- be fined $5,000 or jailed for a year. leaders spoke out againstjthe "Public withstanding, Prince Edward Island Bennett and Campbell were quoted Order Act" as a legal weapon that hardly fit the image of a community in the press explaining that drugs could be trained on striking workers, that could be taken over by drugs. In and the exploitation of children were antiwar protestors, student activists, 1970, the Charlottetown police had unwanted on the Island and that the political opponents and protesting laid a total of three charges for traf- hippie lifestyle would ruin the tour- farmers. At a public meeting on ficking in narcotics. ism industry. The premier claimed Charlottetown7s Kent St. attended After an informal consultation that 80% of his correspondence on by several hundred people, a num- , with Opposition leader Dr. George the issue applauded his defence of L/V/r\c»Ti r\Tvyx oc nkvv^diS.v^j o p L ' o rLQ o , iii-r»/- n c iMirtTir-ic u u i i i c r AAl3"\7r»"»i V i a y v "i Dewar, the government introduced the Island way of life.