"Frustrating": Metro Vancouver shuts down Hike Rave due to "significant concerns"
Metro Vancouver shut down a highly anticipated mountainside dance party just days before it was to happen, and the organizer is frustrated by the reasons.
Jacques W. Martiquet (aka The Party Scientist) was set to host the annual Hike Rave Extreme on Friday, April 26, in a secret location on the North Shore.
However, he received an email from Metro Vancouver requesting that he cancel the event and cease promotions due to “significant concerns.”
Nearly 100 participants had already registered to participate in the outdoor event through Martiquet’s WhatsApp group.
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“It’s frustrating,” Martiquet said. “Every year, the authorities think this is a ‘normal’ rave, with drugs, smartphones, and alcohol. It couldn’t be farther from the truth.
“They don’t get that the whole point of this event is to change how people party and give people the natural antidepressant of nature and exercise.”
Sober Hike Rave/The Party Scientist
Martiquet shared the email he received from Metro Vancouver, telling him that the organization had been made aware of the “unsanctioned event” he was planning for Grouse Mountain Regional Park.
“All public events held in Regional Parks require a Special Event Permit issued by Metro Vancouver,” the email read. “The ‘Hike Rave’ event that you are promoting does not have a permit and I am requesting that you stop advertising this event and inform participants that this event is not permitted and that it is cancelled.
“Metro Vancouver has significant concerns regarding public safety, after-hours access, impacts to the environment, and impacts to our park neighbours. The RCMP, North Shore Rescue, and Grouse Mountain Resort have all been notified of this unsanctioned event at the park and support Metro Vancouver’s request to have this event cancelled.”
Sober Hike Rave/The Party Scientist
Mike Redpath, director of Regional Parks for Metro Vancouver, told Daily Hive that the Grouse Mountain Regional Park gate closes daily before sundown. Unless as part of a Regional Parks nature program or special event, after-hours use of regional parks is not permitted.
“Grouse Mountain Regional Park is known for its steep mountain trails and challenging terrain,” said Redpath. “In discussions with the organizer of the Sober Hike Rave – Extreme Edition, Metro Vancouver staff raised numerous concerns around safety, environmental protection, and potential impacts on park neighbours.
“Following staff coordination with Grouse Mountain Resort, and discussions with the organizer, the organizer opted to not seek a special event permit and cancelled the event.”
Grouse Mountain (Lijuan Guo/Shutterstock)
The Party Scientist explained that he planned on communicating the meeting point on the day of the event because authorities have shut them down in the past.
“I had a phone call with Metro Vancouver and they were really nice. They’re good people and I understand where they are coming from. (However), all the authorities’ concerns are not reasonable.
Martiquet added that hikers must go through an extensive safety registration process, that first-aid kits and first-aid-trained people are on site, and that the trail selected is “easy and risk-free.”
A separate Hike Rave planned for Saturday, April 27, is still proceeding, though Martiquet has relocated the event to a hiking trail off of Metro Vancouver land.
Daily Hive has reached out to Grouse Mountain Resort and North Shore Rescue for comment and will update this piece when and if that becomes available.
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