Skip to content

Quesnel Billy Barker Days Festival busy

Organizers and RCMP call Festival a success.
9536quesnelfront-Royalty
Mickaela Ezowski

Well the tents are packed up and put away for another year, Reid Street is back to normal, the rodeo grounds are quiet and Quesnel residents can pat themselves on the back for another successful premier family festival.

Billy Barker Days Society president Elaine Kopeski summed it up in one word.

“Awesome.”

 

She went on to say there’s always a few little glitches with any multi-event festival but they’re already talking about how they can improve things

for next year.

 

“In general everything went well,” she said.

“It was a very enjoyable festival. We kept waiting for things to go wrong but they didn’t.”

Planning is very important she said and that includes what might go wrong.

However, some things are beyond even the best planner’s control.

The weather.

With predictions for rain most of the weekend, Kopetski said they’d been telling people they were saving the sunshine for the festival.

“And the weather cooperated,” she said.

“We had a bit of rain Thursday but that was after Seniors’ Day was over and a bit of rain for Joe Hikk,” she said.

“The people were great, they put up umbrellas and soldiered through.

“We’ve had worse rain other years for headliners and we always get through it.”

Kopetski was pleased to report the popular billy buttons sold out this year leaving many people wanting more.

Winning numbers are for the first prize, 1978, second prize winning number is 1779 and third prize, 749.

Anyone holding these billy button numbers can claim their prizes at the office in LeBourdais Park.

RCMP Const. Krista Vrolyk said police resources were brought in from 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, units from Prince George, extra traffic enforcement and police dog services as well as most of the Quesnel detachment officers.

“Advanced planning by festival organizers and increased police presence resulted in a very successful and relative uneventful Billy Barker Days for Quesnel RCMP,” she said.

“Between noon July 14 and midnight July 17, Quesnel RCMP investigated a total of 242 police files – the bulk of which involved intoxicated persons. There were no major incidents to report and in total, police arrested 85 people for being intoxicated in public and responded to several assaults, some property related crime and other general calls for service.”

Vrolyk said regular bike  and foot patrols through LeBourdais Park resulted in a lot of liquor being seized and dumped and several arrests.

Both Billy Barker Society members and the RCMP said the festival couldn’t have been so successful without the help of hundreds of volunteers.

Vrolyk said a special thank you goes out to the Quesnel RCMP Auxiliary Constables and Citizens on Patrol.

Kopetski was also very warm in her thank yous.

“Thanks to everyone who gave us encouragement and appreciation to help keep enthusiasm high for next year’s event,” she said.

“We’re already working on plans for next year and for our 40th anniversary in 2013.

She also issued an invitation to the society’s beef and bouquet session July 21, 5:30 p.m. in room S121 at CNC.