City Abandoning Carnival Float

It could be the end of the line for the Vernon Winter Carnival’s parade float.

The float — which has been around since 1991 — is used by Queen Silver Star and her princesses, but has only been used once this year.

And now Vernon council says it will no longer pay the costs to keep it going.

“There are other ways to do it. I think people have to realize the City is not going to go out and spend 40, 50, 60-thousand dollars on a float. It’s not our responsibility to do that, ” says Mayor Akbal Mund.

Mund says the carnival society could approach a car dealership to get private sponsorship.

“Every group have to start realizing it’s not the City’s jurisdiction to keep them afloat and keep them going.”

The float’s maintenance bill each year is $9,500, and the Queen’s Committee has asked the City to replace the float which would cost $30 thousand.

“Floats are a dying kind of way for communities to promote themselves. We have far more sophisticated ways of doing that,” says councillor Juliette Cunningham

Council voted to discontinue the practice of supplying, maintaining and repairing the current float, trailer and tow vehicle, and to get rid of the current float for safety reasons.

It will be up to the carnival society to decide if the float continues.

“The Queen’s Committee could be encouraged to seek private sponsorship or support from GVAC to continue wit the float or seek new alternatives,” writes Richard Strobel, fleet services manager for the City.

The float was originally fabricated in 1991 using a frame and chassis from a 1981 Nissan car obtained from an auto wrecker.