An event that would have brought an estimated 10,000 people and hundreds of dogs to Oak Bay Avenue is moving to Saanich.
Leo Powell, who co-founded the Day of the Dog festival 14 years ago with Jordan Illingworth, has withdrawn his application to host the gathering in Oak Bay.
The move came May 8, two weeks after he received a letter from the district that he thought gave him the green light to move ahead with the Aug. 17 event, which would have seen Oak Bay Avenue, between Foul Bay and Elgin roads, temporarily closed to traffic.
“Staff have completed the review of your application to intermittently occupy Oak Bay Avenue ... between the hours of 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. for the purpose of the above noted event,” reads the letter. “I am happy to advise that this event has been approved.”
But Powell soon learned from Oak Bay that he needed council approval to host the event, in addition to the support of the Oak Bay Business Improvement Association (BIA), which represents some 150 member businesses in the district.
“I was reached out to by another member of Oak Bay, saying the BIA is not happy and you need their endorsement and you have to go to council, and if you don't have their endorsement, there's a very good chance it's not going to happen,” said the organizer.
Oak Bay manager of communications Hayley Goodgrove said Powell was notified on April 30 of the requirement for a council resolution.
According to the organizer, he contacted the BIA soon after receiving this information.
The BIA's president Martin Cownden told The Oak Bay News that he had concerns about the event.
“The businesses on Oak Bay Avenue were not endorsing the closing of the street for an event that didn't pertain to any of the businesses on Oak Bay Avenue,” he said. “There has to be community engagement and there was none.”
In an email to The Oak Bay News, Mayor Kevin Murdoch explained that the district doesn’t need the BIA’s consent to host gatherings. While it does consider the opinion of the group, in addition to those of individual businesses and locally impacted residents, council approval is needed to OK all events that involve the closure of Oak Bay Avenue, as per the district’s Streets and Traffic Bylaw.
“There was a procedural error and the letter was sent prior to approval of the road closure by Oak Bay council. No permit had been provided to the applicant. The district apologizes for the error and is reviewing our process moving forward,” said Goodgrove.
A meeting took place on May 12, where the organizer and the BIA would have a chance to speak to council about the event. Because Powell pulled his application, the issue was removed from the agenda.
On May 9, Powell signed a contract with Galey Farms to host the gathering on the company's Blenkinsop Road property. The gathering is still set to take place on Aug. 17.
