2004 – Wakestock

SIMON: Recently, a devastating fire has rocked Wasaga Beach, a very popular tourist attraction. But in the picturesque town’s better days, Wasaga Beach was home to a very controversial event attracting many people from over Ontario, and the United States. As we report from our own Stacey Patton with that story in 2004.

[Cut to a wakeboarder doing a trick on a lake]

Stacey Patton: The excitement was building as the 2004 Wakestock was held in Wasaga Beach today. Fans all the way from as far as Toronto and as far as Detroit came to see the festival filled with music and extreme sports.

[Cut to a fan wearing a baseball cap]

FAN #1: I drove all the way from Orangeville, just to see a few rock bands perform.

STACEY: This three-day festival features a wakeboarding competition and a music festival, all in one package. [Cut to a scene of the performers on the stage] Among the performers who performed at the festival include Moneen, Alexisonfire and The Ataris. Those bands were a few of the 16 bands performed at Wakestock. [An FMXer performs a stunt to the spectators] For those of you FMXers out there, the FMX Expression session is the place to be. The top 8 motocross jumpers set their new heights and special tricks. [Cut to a kiteboarder on a lake] If you like Kiteboarding, then Canada’s top kiteboarders took special heights of the great waves of Georgian Bay with reasonable winds. [Cut to reporter talking to the organizer of the event] Larry McCrae, organizer of the event told us that the event had provided an economic boost for the community.

LARRY McCRAE: The people of Wasaga Beach really loved us, the local businesses and council enjoyed our hospitality and as long as everyone is being co-operative, we should get along each other.

[Cut to two retirees at their place]

STACEY: But the residents of Wasaga Beach believe that the festival is causing some severe nuisance to their way of life. 67 year-old Harry Bonham, a retired CN conductor who currently resides in Wasaga Beach along with her wife 68 year-old Laurie Bonham, a retired hospital nurse believes that the event is disturbing the peace.

[Cut to male senior citizen]

HARRY BONHAM: There were lots of kids slept in our front lawn. There’s lots of litter piling up everywhere! The bad smell of human waste is awful. Lots of violent fights broke out and many people feel intoxicated.

[Cut to female senior citizen]

LAURIE BONHAM: We tried to call the police many times and they eventually tell the crowds to move along, but that’s not enough to stop the occurrence.

[Cut to a mosh pit of the crowd]

STACEY: Police constable James Henderson of the Wasaga Beach OPP detachment said that they received numerous calls and complaints about the incidents surrounding the festival.

[Cut to police officer]

P.C. JAMES HENDERSON: We have to deal with the issues seriously as our citizens requested and we eventually arrested the people involved in those incidents. We were also informed that a citizen filed a noise complaint with the town council to let the organizers know that they have to keep their noise levels down.

[Cut to reporter]

STACEY: The OPP has asked the organizers to step up their procedures and protocols regarding today’s events and the organizers must comply with those guidelines set by the OPP or face legal action. [Cut to a shot of cheering fans] As for the people who attended the event, they simply just want to have fun. For Newswatch, I’m Stacey Patton reporting from Wasaga Beach.

SIMON: Eventually, Wasaga Beach town council decided in a 4-3 decision against the return of Wakestock. At least 45,000 people attended the event at Wasaga Beach which council deemed too big for the community. Organizers spent much of 2005 finding where the event will take place, but in the end, The Toronto Islands is finally (and will be) the new home of Wakestock. As for Wasaga Beach, a smaller, but more family oriented wakeboarding event have taken over the shadows recently called “The Canadian Wake Championships” took place last summer on August 2007.The only difference is the number of attendance, only 3,000 people attended that event. The big Wakestock event at Wasaga might be gone, but those memories will be never to forget. Next week on flashback, Toronto tries to secure a place to host the 2008 Summer Olympics.