The controversial proposal for an annual Rave Festival off Mountain View Road seven km west of Killaloe in Renfrew County has been withdrawn. Above: grounds of the Killaloe Craft and Community Fair. Photo supplied.
The company Knwhere Music Festivals applied for a municipal Special Use Permit on May 6, 2025. Council deferred a decision until the proponent had obtained approval from the Killaloe Craft and Community Fair Corporation which owns the property.
Knwhere is an US/Toronto based electronic DJ company and the founders of the original Burning Man Festivals in the North Spanish Desert.
Representatives from the Killaloe Craft and Community Fair (KCCF) and Knwhere were in favour of developing the 100-acre partially wooded area for what would become an annual Rave. The prospects of such a spectacular event caused the rural sleepy eyes of many to dilate to the size of saucers.
Some local residents within a 5-km radius of the fair grounds had already complained of overnight amplified music from the preexisting annual community craft fair.
The current proposal had intended to erect 5 km of fencing around the 100 acres, (twice the diameter of the property). Up to 5,000 campers arriving in 2,000 cars, and recreational vehicles would use parking lots cleared in a wooded area adjacent to the existing amphitheater. Each campsite would be an area of 10×10 feet – a fraction of the standard size designated by Ontario Parks.
A road system involving two 3-lane width entrances and exists would be built off Mountain View Road. Water would be supplied by tanker trucks. Several firetrucks, 12 paramedics, 125 porta potties, six VIP units, a shower enclave, and food vendors would service the event.
Waste, both human and refuse, would be shipped to Kingston or Ottawa twice a day. A shuttle service to and from Ottawa and Toronto international airports would transport participants. A 350 paid “harm reduction team” would circulate the fairgrounds 24 hours per day. Regional hospitals would be advised in advance for any potential influx of patients during the three day weekend event .
The promoters claimed they had invested in noise cancellation technology and the subsonic frequencies would automatically cut off over a certain volume.
Council had been preoccupied with traffic congestion but the event organizers emphasized all vehicles would be parked on the designated 100-acre site and not permitted to leave until the three day event was over.
The mayor expressed concern that some participants may refuse to vacate the site after the event and establish tent cities – a social crisis now common across Canada.
The event was originally planned to be held at the Palmer Rapids festival site in Brudenell Lyndoch Raglan. But that property’s owner withdrew approval following public opposition. This left festival organizers scrambling to secure an alternative location as they had already sold tickets over the internet.
A three day pass cost $307.30 and RV-camping ran for $439.31. Multiply those numbers by the projected 2,000 to 5,000 participants and potential profits run into the millions of dollars. Organizers had offered the municipality $5 for every ticket sold as an incentive for the township to issue the special events permit.
According to Andea Dsouza from the Ministry of the Environment, Recreation and Parks based
in Toronto, the event required ministerial approval but organizers had not yet applied for a permit. Until a permit was requested they could not intervene if adverse environmental effects were to occur during the construction phase.
However, a complaint was filed with Ottawa’s Regional Office of the proponent’s intent to irreversibly modify the natural area which could indirectly impact sensitive wetlands along Zummach Creek. The proponent had intended to hire GEMTEC Consulting Inc. from Ottawa to first conduct an environmental assessment.
A press release was issued Friday May 10, 2025 to the Ottawa Citizen’s editorial board, and a dissertation and delegation was organized to oppose the project at KHR’s upcoming regular council meeting on May 20, 2025. An online petition and a written petition at the local pharmacy gathered over 60 signatures.
Since the project’s fruition hinged first and foremost on the approval from the KCCF board, an advisory was issued by concerned residents stating that any noise and permanent modification to the fair grounds to accommodate an annual Rave Festival could compromise already fragile relations between neighbours and the existing KCCF and its corporation.
Board representative Tao Organ advised opponents the following day on Saturday May 10th that KCCF was no longer considering hosting the Knwhere Festival.
Raves are becoming an increasing controversy in rural Eastern Ontario with its proximity to large metropolitan centres. Bancroft, and East Algonquin already are afflicted by these divisive events.
Excessive noise levels not only adversely affect humans, but they also impact nesting birds, amphibians and other wildlife claim scientists.
About the author: Christopher Huggett is a retired naturalist living in Killaloe-Hagarty-Richards who occasionally contributes to The Madawaska Valley Current.