Will PRA move the 1000 Islands Poker Run out of Kingston?

[Matt Trulio]

Matt, the thing Kingston needs to realize is that Kingston needs the 1000 PR a whole lot more than the 1000 PR needs Kingston. It worked in Gananoque, and if they could figure the docking out it would work really well in Brockville.
The 1000 Islands Poker Run will take place in the 1000 Islands this year. Whether or not Kingston is involved is up to them.

Agreed, but is there a larger issue at stake here? No question, the economic loss is all Kingston's if the town opts out. However, the momentum the anti-go-fast-boat forces create though something like this can be substantial. If I thought the only thing as stake was a small town shooting itself in the foot I really, really would not care. I'm not so sure, but you folks who know the area certainly know better than I do.

One thing I failed to mention about the personal watercraft battle of years past: The companies involved such as Yamaha, Kawasaki, Sea-Doo and Polaris were well funded, meaning that they could match lawyers with the best, and best-funded, environmental groups.

Unfortunately, the high-performance marine industry, especially now, doesn't have the same resources. That makes the fight a lot harder.

Is Kingston an anomaly? If so, if they're just one little town with a whacked out city council, I say wave as you blow by it on the way to the next town that welcomes you and actually appreciates the dollars you spend. If not, then the issue really is larger.

[Tank]

Here is the email I sent to the Mayor of Kingston, Mayor Rosen hrosen@cityofkingston.ca



Dear Mayor Rosen,

I write to you in regards to an alarming issue currently under consideration by you and your council members. The consideration of boycotting the “1,000 Islands Poker Run”.

After reading several publications regarding the request to boycott this event, it quickly becomes apparent that there are those that wish to utilize the claim of benefiting the environment in order to further fulfill their own agenda. These groups, such as “SPLASH” demonstrate great bias and discrimination against a wonderful event.

I see mention in various articles about the carbon foot print “poker run boats” make however, I see no mention (or issue taken) with the carbon foot print tourist boats, sail boat motors, fishing boats, or even tourist cars make. This boycott is clearly an attempt to strong arm an event in order to gain compensation due to the appearance of a “cash cow”.

I’m sure I need not remind you of the fact that those that participate in this event and come to watch this event spend thousands upon thousands of dollars. To give you an example of the type of money your city brings in during this poker run, the Key West (Fl.) poker run brings in an estimated 5 million dollars to the city of Key West, during the Florida Powerboat Club’s November poker run. Another example is the Lake Havasu (Az.) Poker Run brings in an estimated 4-6 million during the weekend of the “Desert Storm Poker Run” hosted by Lake Racer LLC. The city of Lake Havasu is so grateful to have the influx of revenue to the city, they are currently in talks with the organizer’s to help offset some of the expenses of this event.

I think the recommendation of a carbon offset fee borderlines on gluttony. To single out an organization and require them to pay into a carbon offset bank, to be used by the city coffers, when the city itself is already raking in millions in revenue is quite simply transparent and shameful.

This event has been covered by various national and world wide publications as well as being voted a top ten boating event by Powerboat Magazine (the worlds leading performance boating magazine). I personally live in California and though I have not had the chance to visit Kingston, nor attend this event, it is most definitely on my family’s to-do list.

I realize that the threat of this event leaving Kingston and moving to another town along the river, most likely pleases some (including SPLASH) because there is a minority of people that I assume are using the claim of environmental impact as a ruse to get rid of the event which they view negatively as bringing loud boats, crowds of people, congestion and revelers to their quite city. However, it truly would be unfortunate to cease what has obviously become a great partnership between the City of Kingston and Poker Run’s America.

I hope my plea to keep the 1,000 Islands Poker Run in Kingston does not fall on deaf ears. And I hope the Kingston City Counsel come to the correct conclusion; that this event should go on, un-hampered.

Respectfully,

Tank Sears
Channel Islands, Ca.

[Joe549]

That is a well written letter, and hopefully it does not fall on deaf ears. Perhaps if other boaters, especially from those who have attended the 1000 PR and/or boat in the region, were to submit letters it will help steer Council into the right decision instead of being influenced by the noisy minority self-interest groups.

http://www.cityofkingston.ca/cityhal...l/councillors/

Mayor Harvey ROSEN hrosen@cityofkingston.ca

Council Members:

Leonore Foster lfoster@cityofkingston.ca
Steve Garrison sgarrison@cityofkingston.ca
Mark Gerretsen mgerretsen@cityofkingston.ca
Bill Glover bglover@cityofkingston.ca
Dorothy Hector dhector@cityofkingston.ca
Rob Hutchinson rhutchison@cityofkingston.ca
Joyce MaCleod-Kane jmacleod-kane@cityofkingston.ca
Rob Matheson rmatheson@cityofkingston.ca
Sara Meers smeers@cityofkingston.ca
Lisa Osanic losanic@cityofkingston.ca
Vicky Schmolka vschmolka@cityofkingston.ca
Ed Smith esmith@cityofkingston.ca

Chamber of Commerce:
http://www.kingstonchamber.on.ca/contactUs/index.cfm

Downtown Business Improvement Association:
http://www.downtownkingston.ca/index.htm
info@downtownkingston.ca

[Tank]

Well, at least I recieved the curtousy of a responce.

Dear Mr. Sears
*
Thank you for your correspondence regarding the Poker Run.* I will share your comments with Mayor Rosen accordingly.
*
With regards
*
Rose Pennock
Receptionist to the Mayor's Office
City of Kingston
216 Ontario Street, Kingston,ON K7L 2Z3
613-546-4291 ext. 1400

[catastrophe]

Well, at least I recieved the curtousy of a responce.

Dear Mr. Sears
*
Thank you for your correspondence regarding the Poker Run.* I will share your comments with Mayor Rosen accordingly.
*
With regards
*
Rose Pennock
Receptionist to the Mayor's Office
City of Kingston
216 Ontario Street, Kingston,ON K7L 2Z3
613-546-4291 ext. 1400

I would take a courtesy note from a receptionist as something different than a positive move forward.

Please dont forget you are going to affect PRA's business here.

[harhem]

On CKWS news today ( Kingston TV News). Economic Impact of Poker Run will be debated this Tuesday.. Please email each and every counciler.

Harold Hemberger
Kingston ON

[catastrophe]

On CKWS news today ( Kingston TV News). Economic Impact of Poker Run will be debated this Tuesday.. Please email each and every counciler.

Harold Hemberger
Kingston ON

Is it open to the public?????????????

[harhem]

Yes it is. Public meetings start at 7:30

Here is part of the agenda - This related to the Poker Run

http://www.cityofkingston.ca/pdf/cou...1110-10128.pdf


entire agenda

http://www.cityofkingston.ca/cityhal...cil_agenda.asp

[pullmytrigger]

I contacted and got a response from Bill Taylor.....he said that the run has indeed ruffled a few feathers in Kingston but at this time the Run will proceed as planned.....he said for any further updates contact his event co ordinator Sheryl MacKey at 1-800-354-9145 x252

[harhem]

Personally i think most people want it ( silent majority types). I will be at the Poker Run for sure. ( between shifts)

[harhem]

Here is the news video

http://www.ckwstv.com/index.cfm?page=news&id=2216

[Team Tsunami]

Here is the news video

http://www.ckwstv.com/index.cfm?page=news&id=2216

Hey thats my red 35 motion cat in the beginning of the vid next to my buddies Donzi 43 ZR and Cigarette 42X! Once again we love going up to Kingston and the 1000 Islands!!

[Caincando1]

Here’s the unfortunate way human nature affects things like this. When people like something they simply enjoy it and tell their friends. They don’t call their public officials to tell them how much they enjoyed something, whatever that may be. When people don’t enjoy something the emotion tends to be different. There seems to be something about the emotion of being happy that people want others to be happy. When people feel the emotion of anger or dislike, they tend to want other to feel the same way. Therefore when people don’t like something it’s more common to take the next step and call a public official to complain. Since the squeaky wheel gets the grease, the public officials are hearing from the minority that doesn’t like something versus the majority that do. Simply because the majority’s voice if often less heard in the ear of the public officials, an event like this can affected by the minority.

The moral of the story... if you like the 1000 Island Poker Run, call the public officials and tell them. A compliment carries more clout than a complaint.

[harhem]

Due to other agendas running late, the Kingston Poker Run was not mentioned at yesterdays council meeting. Therefore it is not too late to keep some of those letters coming in to council.

Harold Hembeger

[catastrophe]

I asked this once and got no answer.
Have the councillors been polled to establish their position on this topic??

Maybe we fret for nothing.

[htrdlncn]

I think you guys are going about it wrong,
I would be calling/sending letters to all the businesses affected in any way in Kingston
stating how sorry you are the run may not be held there any longer and how much you will
miss visiting and enjoying/spending money at their establishment.
I think couple hundred angry business owners showing up at a council meeting can be a way more powerful force than a small band of eco hippies.

[catastrophe]

I think you guys are going about it wrong,
I would be calling/sending letters to all the businesses affected in any way in Kingston
stating how sorry you are the run may not be held there any longer and how much you will
miss visiting and enjoying/spending money at their establishment.
I think couple hundred angry business owners showing up at a council meeting can be a way more powerful force than a small band of eco hippies.

AGREE 100%

[harhem]

For Immediate Release
Apr. 13, 2010, 10:39 a.m.

Public Asked To Weigh In On Poker Run & Sustainability


Kingston City Council will hold a public meeting to gauge community views regarding the cultural and social impacts of the Poker Run at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 22, in Memorial Hall, City Hall, 216 Ontario St.

In February, City Council, acting on a report from the Kingston Environmental Advisory Forum (KEAF), passed a motion asking City staff to conduct a Your Opinion survey - now available at <http://www.cityofkingston.ca/pokerrun> - and hold a public meeting to gauge the impacts and community views regarding the Poker Run. The survey will remain active until April 30.

The annual Kingston-based Poker Run event is a power boat race which starts in Lake Ontario and continues down the St. Lawrence. It involves participants stopping at a number of the Thousand Islands to collect playing cards.

The Poker Run is a tourist draw and a popular spectator event - but it is also an event that a number of Kingstonians believe undermines the community's vision of Kingston as Canada's most sustainable city because of its impact on the environment.

The community's model of sustainability, found in the Sustainable Kingston plan (see <http://www.sustainablekingston.ca>), includes four pillars: cultural, economic, environmental and social, all of which were referenced in the February 2 Council motion.

"Council is clearly looking for direction from Kingstonians on this issue. The motion said that no one pillar of sustainability should be considered in isolation from other pillars. It also recognized that the Poker Run is just one of many Kingston-based events and that Council has no policy on evaluating events from an integrated sustainable perspective," says Paul MacLatchy, Director, Strategy, Communication and Environment.

The Council motion also requested that:

- the Kingston Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO) deliver a report on the economic impact of the Poker Run.

- that staff collect data on visitors and their economic impact during the 2010 Poker Run.

KEAF found that the total amount of CO2 produced by the annual Poker Run is in the range of 100 to 200 tonnes and compared that amount to the 122 tonnes produced by a Toronto-Vancouver round-trip flight on a Boeing 757 which produces 122 tonnes of CO2. KEAF noted that "The Poker Run without carbon offsets is damaging to a culture of Environmental Sustainability."

Verified carbon offset credits are available from a number of private sector and not-for-profit organizations for about $25 a tonne.

Plan to get there by bus: <http://www.cityofkingston.ca/tripplanner>

- 30 -

Media contact information:
Cindie Ashton, Communications Officer (613) 546-4291, ext. 3116 (cell 329-3462). Or call the City of Kingston's media hotline at 613-546-4291, ext. 2300.

[bluellama]

I have no desire to debate the inner workings of Kingston City Council, catch me on whatever dock we end up on this year in August, and I'll fill you in on a bunch more of their boneheaded barriers to Commerce, but the one question I do have is if verified carbon offsets are available for $25 a tonne, why does KEAF and the City pf Kingston want PRA to pay $10,000 to offset the supposed amount of CO2 produced?

[harhem]

The Poker Run is a go this year.. It looks like it is up to the next council to decide on what happens. Hopefully we will get a better council this year