I decided I needed to write a letter to the Mayor about what is going on with music and how it is getting out of control. If anyone would like to read it here it is. Your oppinions would be much appreciated

Dear Mayor Miller,


My name is Justin Williams and I am writing to you to address an ongoing issue in the GTA today. I am an avid music fan and I attend both local and international events which happen in our beautiful city. My concern is that we are being taken away our right to listen to this music at certain times of the day. Nowhere else in the world but here would we be shut down for having a festival as we would call it.

Some people seem to believe that we are creating “noise pollution”. I understand they may not enjoy the music we are playing but that gives the police no right to shut us down. I do not believe what we are doing is illegal.

A few weeks ago I was enjoying one of the best nights of my life a while back at The Guvernment Complex, based on the complaints of a few people who live on Toronto Island (“The Islanders”) the police sent 15+ quad cars to shut The Guvernment down. I personally stayed on the island and the noise level is not that bad. If they would just kindly shut their windows or even turn on their music just a little bit… the noise would almost totally be muted out.

I live in this country believing we are about freedom and being able to live our dreams, but this kind of behaviour from our police is unacceptable. Why everywhere else in the world do people take a week off and celebrate different festivals all day and all night and there are no complaints and no police closings?

If you live close to downtown Toronto you have to expect noise. If you want peace and quiet you should live up North, not in the largest city in Canada and one of the largest cities in North America.

The Islanders believe because they have lived there for so long that they have this right to everything, but they don’t. They still live in the big city, noise is going to happen, and we should not have to suffer as a result of them not being able to just deal with it.

I deal with things I don’t like everyday, and you don’t see me calling and asking it to be shut down. I know you may think I am way out of line here, however, music is my life, it is my passion, and it makes me who I am. Why should another person’s “annoyance” not allow me to enjoy something that is so important to me and many others of our society? We are in no way hurting someone, or driving them crazy.

We are supposed to be about what is best for all of our people, not a selected few who dislike something. It seems everything is being banned nowadays and it’s scaring me, it almost makes me want to move to Europe where I am not looked down upon for trying to enjoy something I love so much. A little leniency is all I ask.

Nightlife is a very important of any city. Some people can’t see this, but many do… this is why we have thousands of people downtown every weekend at all of our various bars and clubs. Banning new liquor licences and closing down clubs because of “noise” which I call music, my life, my soul, my everything is ridiculous.

I can not let this happen anymore which is why I was inspired to write you this letter. I hope you will read this and will take into consideration the things I have said. I in no way wish to cause any other person grief. I just want to be able to enjoy my music without being looked down on as a “rebel” or negative affect to our society. I work 9-5 Monday to Friday. I am a normal person too… but when it comes to my weekends, music is my escape from the world’s issues and it makes me a better person and helps me work harder to make this country even more beautiful.

Thank you for your time Mr. Mayor. I appreciate you reading this and I hope I get some kind of response from you. You are doing an amazing job and keep up the good work. You will have my vote when the time comes.


If you wish to email me, my email is: [email protected]


Sincerely,




Justin Williams

sounds a tad too personal...

too many 'I believes' and 'I thinks'....tone down those a bit, and I'm not sure what the noise pollution or public disturbance laws in fact are with respect to decibel levels, but you might wanna check those out and shed a little light on that.

I wouldn't send it the way it is, but you are definately on the right track.

Oh, and use an e-mail addy better than '[email protected]', you want to look professional, you should make the e-mail address look the same.

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Not Everyone Understands House Music, It's a Spiritual Thing, a Body Thing, a Soul Thing

^^^+1 on what he said...

but u might want to add more about the way the rest of theworld looks at our city because of all the control especially being a "first world nation" that we live in

i just had the wierdest thought....








WE SHOULD FIGHT FOR "RAVER" RIGHTS!!!!

dude....I can't even tell if you're being sarcastic...but iDance dude, iDance.

You remember back at the turn of the millenium when we had 22,000 people in nathan phillips square?

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Not Everyone Understands House Music, It's a Spiritual Thing, a Body Thing, a Soul Thing

quote:

Originally posted by Sly_Guy dude....I can't even tell if you're being sarcastic...but iDance dude, iDance. You remember back at the turn of the millenium when we had 22,000 people in nathan phillips square?

i was joking about the "Raver rights" bit but im tlakin along the lines of the fact that u find all these segments coming up with demnads for rights...i think we SHOULD have rights too being a "free" country

quote:

Originally posted by Sly_Guy dude....I can't even tell if you're being sarcastic...but iDance dude, iDance. You remember back at the turn of the millenium when we had 22,000 people in nathan phillips square?

Was in Ottawa for 2000 but I did have the priviledge of attending 2001.



My offer of support from my company still stands to Jayx1 (hope you're enjoying your vacation!) and anyone else who wants to organise a cohesive effort to make our views known on this subject...

Get in touch.

Last edited by amb_ on Jul-21-2005 at 18:21

the first one was the best one. I remember coming home from work, my sister grabbing me and not even giving me a choice as to whether to go or not. Got there at like 5pm, people are dancing in the fountain, the place is packed, there seemed to be a perminant cloud of weed smoke hanging above my head. Good times, didn't matter what music you were into, they had some of the world's best for everything, all for free.

I miss those days when toronto's scene was so strong the DJs would be willing to volunteer their time to keep it going.

Oh, and the jungle afterparty at turbo was pretty damned good as well. God bless fake IDs.

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Not Everyone Understands House Music, It's a Spiritual Thing, a Body Thing, a Soul Thing

iDance was great. I was there both years.

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Surreal
Universal Religion

I remember freaky flow and flipside flew in from japan and came straight from the airport to play the party.

freaky flow comes on the mic, explains they spent an ungodly amount of time in straight travel just to make it back in time for their set, then goes into a freestyle about mel lastman and the rediculous policies regarding rave control and how we were here and were not going to go away until he took notice of us.

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Not Everyone Understands House Music, It's a Spiritual Thing, a Body Thing, a Soul Thing

thanks for the input guys. my intentions were for it to be personal. not writing on your behalf. If you guys want to help me assemble another letter than is talking about us in general then let me know. I'd be more than willing to do what I can

quote:

Originally posted by oldschool420 thanks for the input guys. my intentions were for it to be personal. not writing on your behalf.

Personally, I do appreciate and admire your efforts, which obviously speak to a lot of us here... Each one of us can make a difference if we speak up.