Outdoor Special Events

Click here to access the Outdoor Special Event Application

An Outdoor Special Event Application is required for:

• Anyone who intends to hold a commercial or non-commercial activity or event that attracts participants and/or spectators on City land which is not outlined in the applicable Recreation Fees and Charges Bylaw.
• Anyone using City facilities outlined in the applicable Recreation Fees and Charges Bylaw for anything aside from its intended purpose or fee structure as outlined.
• This includes but is not limited to a festival, competition, race, show, parade, private event or ceremony.
• When access to City services is requested.
• Any size event is held on City roadways.
• A liquor license is applied for on City property.

An Outdoor Special Event Application is NOT required for:

• Events renting and taking place exclusively inside the Miners’ Hall facility.
• Tournaments or events exclusively taking place inside the Rossland Arena facility on the ice, dry floor or in the lounge facility.
• Baseball or soccer games, practices or tournaments taking place on Cook, Centennial or Jubilee playing fields.
• Casual use, non-commercial, private small events taking place in City parks that do not restrict access or use of the park from others.
• Events taking place on private property/non-City land that do not disrupt City operations.

CASUAL USE:

“Casual use” can be defined as informal activities such as birthday parties, staff luncheons, family reunions and picnics. While park space can’t be reserved for these types of gatherings, users are welcome to animate the spaces following our Casual Use Guidelines.

Casual Use Guidelines

• Gatherings of larger than 80 people require outdoor special event approval.
• Parks and public spaces can’t be used exclusively and are on a first-come, first-served basis. You can’t ask anyone to move.
• Tents must be weighted, as staking (ground penetration) isn’t permitted. Tents can’t be bigger than 10’x10’.
• Tying to infrastructure or trees isn’t permitted.
• Portable propane barbeques that are CSA/ULC approved are acceptable in park space only and must be kept a minimum of one metre away from the nearest structure. During high-risk fire season, BBQ use will be restricted.
• Food can only be for attendees. Food service to the public isn’t permitted.
• Food trucks aren’t permitted to attend casual use activities.
• Inflatable play structures aren’t authorized for casual use.
• Amplified sound is strongly discouraged. Please respect other users of the area.
• Alcohol is not permitted.
• No smoking.
• You’re responsible for cleaning up garbage or recycling generated from your gathering and removing it from the site. We live in bear country, please be bear aware.

APPLICATION PROCESS AND SUBMISSION TIMELINE:

Special outdoor event approval will be issued when:

• All the necessary documentation related to the type of event you are hosting has been submitted in its entirety to the City of Rossland.
• The Outdoor Special Event Application has been approved by the City of Rossland.
• Any related booking fees have been paid in full.

The City of Rossland processes these applications by:

• Determining the suitability of the park, trail or site to accommodate the event.
• Consulting with various stakeholders if required.
• Providing approval as per procedures and guidelines.
• Ensuring applicable insurance, permits and licenses are obtained.
• Collect any applicable fees.
• Ensuring clean-up and repair.

An application must be submitted a minimum of eight (8) weeks prior to the event or activity. Applications may require Council approval for various components, including but not limited to street closures, liquor license approvals, noise exemptions and City land use approval.

FACILITY AND PARK USE PRIORITY:

Preferred booking for events and activities are given in the following order:

1. All City of Rossland sponsored programs and special events.
2. Past events/activities on the same day as past year(s).
3. Past events/activities on a different day as past year(s).
4. New events and activities with a community focus.
5. Private/commercial events/activities.

FEES:

Fees applied to outdoor special events will be evaluated by Council on a one-on-one basis depending on size, impact to City spaces, City operational costs and requirements and the community or cultural value of the event. When fees are applicable, they will be due in full by the event coordinator before event approval is issued. City rental and administrative fees may include an hourly rate to book City spaces and an administrative fee depending on the size and scope of the event. Fees will differ for non-profit and commercial events.

A damage deposit may be required to cover various areas of potential damage or loss such as park site, lost equipment, etc. The amount varies on size and scope of the event. The City reserves the right to assess and assign a higher amount for large, high impact events.

INSURANCE:

All events taking place on City property require the event coordinator to secure minimum of $2 million comprehensive liability insurance naming the City of Rossland as additional insured. Event coordinators will be required to produce a certificate prior to any event activities taking place on City property.

EVENT AND ACTIVITY GUIDELINES:

General

• An event in a park or trail must be conducted in a manner and location such that it will minimize the impact on the natural environment, park users, park operators and facilities.
• An event should provide a benefit to the public equal to or greater than that which could have normally been expected were the parkland or facilities not restricted for the event. Preference will be given to the general public use of parkland and facilities.
• Event organizers whose events require a special approval must not advertise the event or make financial commitments before signing and submitting the release and indemnification form and then receiving written approval from the City of Rossland. Those who do may have their permit application declined.
• The Applicant shall observe applicable provisions and requirements of all statutes, orders in council, bylaws, rules and regulations, municipal, provincial or federal.

Responsibilities

• The event coordinator is responsible for inspecting the special event venue or activity area prior to use to confirm it is suitable for their purpose. They agree to accept the special event venue or activity area as is and will use the area at their own risk.  The event coordinator must notify the City of Rossland of any condition that may render the venue, park, facility, or equipment unsafe for use.
• At the request of the City of Rossland, the event coordinator may be asked to join City staff while inspecting parks, trails, and facilities prior to and post event.
• The event coordinator shall have total responsibility for competition or sporting event course layout and shall take all necessary steps to ensure that the event is properly supervised to prevent injury to participants, spectators, and park users.
• The event coordinator is responsible for ensuring the special event or activity is conducted in a safe, orderly manner, is restricted to the park area and/or facility identified in the event approval and has minimal interference with other park users.
• If required by the City of Rossland, the event coordinator is responsible for providing at his/her/their expense temporary markers and/or personnel (such as signs, barricades, cones, and course marshals) for traffic control, which must be in place for the duration of the special event and aligned with the Traffic Control Management Plan when applicable.
• The event coordinator shall provide adequate personnel who shall be stationed around the area to safeguard participants, spectators, and users.
• The event coordinator must remove all evidence of the special event (e.g. signs, markers, temporary structures) immediately after the event. Should the City of Rossland be required to remove such materials, the event coordinator will be charged at the hourly call out rate.
• It is the responsibility of the event organizer to apply for a post Food Permit and Special Occasion Liquor Licence(s) during events, and have these permits displayed accordingly.

PRIME CONTRACTOR:

As per WorkSafe BC regulations, the organization/business hosting the event may be required to enter into a Prime Contractor Agreement to assume responsibility and to ensure the health and safety of all workers/paid staff on the event site. This includes from setup to takedown.

You may be required to take Prime Contractor if:

• You, or any of your organization/business staff involved in the event, are paid and not a volunteer
• There are contracted/hired services as part of the event. Examples include; flaggers, mobile food trucks, portable washroom suppliers, etc.

You’re not required to take Prime Contractor if:

• Your organization is made up of entirely volunteer staff – in other words, no-one is a paid employee.
• There are no contracted/hired services onsite.

SITE AND SERVICE REQUIREMENTS:

Fields

The City of Rossland has three (3) fields that can be rented for sporting events.  Typically, fields are open for use sometime in May, subject to precipitation and saturation levels.  Should you be interested in renting one of the fields for a non-sporting event you will require special permission from Council.

• Jubilee Field – located at Jubilee and Queen St.
• Cook Field – located at Cook Ave and Davis St.
• Centennial Field – located off Dunn Cres.

Parks & Green Spaces

• Esling Park – located on Spokane Ave, opposite Golden Bear Children’s Centre.
• Nickleplate Park – located on Nickleplate Rd
• Rossland Pool Park – located on Columbia Ave, next to swimming pool
• Rossglenn Park – located on Irwin Ave.

Vehicle Access in Fields & Parks

Vehicles are typically not allowed to enter into fields and parks unless specific authorization is granted by the City, if this is something you require to set up your event please include this request with your application form.

Power & Water in Fields & Parks

• Centennial & Cook Fields have limited power available. Electrical needs must be identified in the event application.
• Rossland Pool Park – limited water and power available. Please indicate when applying for the space.

Structures

• All parks & fields have underground irrigation, therefore the City prohibits the staking of tents or any other structure or object into the ground. Tents or structures can be sandbagged but need to be identified at the time of application.  Any damages caused to underground utilities will be the responsibility of the permit holder and will be charged accordingly.
• Indoor facilities shall remain in the same condition as they were rented. Any damage to walls, floors, ceilings etc will be removed from the damage deposit before it is returned.

Solid Waste Disposal

• Parks, fields and facilities must be left clean, and ALL garbage must be bagged and removed immediately following the event. We live in bear & critter territory therefore, we need to be cognisant of not attracting wildlife to these areas.  Any excessive cleanup required by our City staff may result in a bill to the event coordinator to recover staff time and disposal costs.
• The City strongly encourages all applicants to include a recycling station as part of their event planning.

Washroom Facilities

• Special events may be required to provide additional temporary washroom facilities at event sites. Approximately one washroom per 100 participants, including one accessible facility, in locations where there are inadequate or no facilities.

Fireworks, pyrotechnics or open flame performances

The use of fireworks, pyrotechnics and/or open flame performances require pre-approval from City Recreation Department staff before applying for a fireworks display application. Requests can be indicated in the Outdoor Special Event Application.

Amplified Sound

Amplified sound may be approved as part of the outdoor event approval.

Organizers are required to mitigate noise bleed by:

• Having awareness of speaker location and direction (i.e. face away from residential areas)
• Respecting early morning or late evening use

Specific decibel settings for large concerts will be determined through the outdoor event approval process.

Parking

Organizers should provide nearby parking options through their website and marketing initiatives when attendance will exceed onsite capacities.  Alternate means of transportation such as walking, cycling, carpooling, transit, etc., should be encouraged.

When organizing an outdoor event, organizers may be permitted to block off parking stalls and/or parking lots for event space or infrastructure such as portable washrooms, mobile food vendors, loading/unloading zone, etc. It’s the organizer’s responsibility to block off and manage use of stalls and/or parking lots. The City may provide equipment where feasible for organizers.

Parking on grass, or in pathways, driving lanes, fire routes, designated accessible spaces, etc., is not permitted without prior City permission.

It’s not permitted to charge parking fees on city property to event attendees.

LIQUOR LICENSING AND PERMITS:

If alcohol is being served at the event, a valid special event permit (SEP) is required. For further information please refer to the BC Special Event Permit Manual BC Special Event Permit Manual.

The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch may exempt special event permit holders from certain financial obligations, like donating the profits to charity when charging above the cost recovery price for alcohol, if the event is deemed of municipal, provincial, national or international significance. The LCRB defines provincially, nationally and internationally significant events as those that meet the following criteria:

• Participants and performers at the event are primarily from around the province, Canada, or the world;
• The event attracts spectators from around the province, Canada, or the world;
• There is provincial, national, or international media coverage of the event.

The City of Rossland has further defined “municipally significant” events as follows:

• An event advertised to the general public
• Has local or regional historical or cultural significance; OR
• Has a sport or recreation significance; OR
• Builds awareness of diverse cultures; OR
• Promotes tourism, economic development and brand of the City of Rossland

TEMPORARY STREET CLOSURES:

The City attempts to balance the social and economic benefits of street closure applications with impacts on residents and businesses.

• Applications for street closures must be approved by Council at a public meeting; therefore, applications must be received at least eight weeks before the proposed event.
• A site plan, route map, traffic management plan (TMP) and parking plan are all required for all street closures.
• For a street closure longer three hours, the applicant must demonstrate the economic and social benefits to the community.

CITY EVENT EQUIPMENT:

We have a variety of equipment available for rent or at no charge for permitted events on City property. Our special outdoor event application includes the ability to make an equipment request.

Equipment is available on a first come-first served basis, however when multiple events are booking on the same weekend we do make every effort to ensure shared use of the equipment.

Replacement or repair of lost or damaged equipment will be the responsibility of the event organizer.

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION:

For some events, organizers will be required to notify local residents, businesses and/or the general public of impacts to the area via a notification letter. Notification is required two weeks in advance.

As a general guideline, a notification letter is required if your event:

• Has a lane or road closure
• Has amplified sound (i.e. concert)
• Has a large parking impact in residential area
• Has an extended park closure

Necessity of a notification letter will be determined by the Recreation Department and a copy will be required as part of the outdoor special event approval process.

Notification letter should include:

• Event dates and times
• Event location
• Route maps, indicating closures, detour routes, etc.
• Restricted parking areas
• Contact information including email and phone
• Website information
• Other as applicable

ACCESSIBILITY:

We promote a caring, inclusive and respectful community where City programs, services and facilities are available to everyone, including people with diverse abilities, defined as someone who:

• Has low or no hearing
• Has low or no vision
• Lives with a mental illness
• Uses a cane, wheelchair or other mobility device to get around

Things to consider when planning:

• Interpreters – Use a sign language interpreter at presentations or speeches.
• Parking – Ensure there are accessible parking stalls located in close proximity to event site and create temporary stalls where event space may restrict available accessible parking.
• Paths of Travel – Identify clear and wide travel paths through the event site and ensure tripping hazards are identified and covered properly.
• Routes – Ensure event routes are accessible and clear of any impediments.
• Signage – Provide large, easy to read signage with good colour contrast.
• Washrooms – Ensure accessible washroom stalls/portable washrooms are available, appropriately placed and in adequate supply.

FIRST AID:

First aid is the responsibility of the organizer. At minimum, all events are required to have a fully stocked fist aid kit easily accessible by event staff, volunteers and attendees. For events with over 500 attendees, first aid recommendations include:

• Clearly identifiable 10×10 first aid tent onsite
• Certified professional first aid service such as St. John Ambulance or other

For larger or higher risk events, increased medical services and a Safety plan will be required.

SECURITY:

Depending on size, scope and type of event, varying levels of security may be required. Examples include:

• Events with liquor service
• Overnight structures in the park
• Events with high attendance
• Ticketed events
• Other (i.e. complexity, nature, demographic, time of day, length, etc.)

Level of staffing will be determined as part of the outdoor special event approval and is the organizer’s cost and responsibility to manage.