While May Day is safe for 2018, a group of local residents is committed to doing what it can to protect the tradition for years to come.
Rocky Suffron, Nikki Binns and Lisa Graham have formed a Citizens May Day Focus Group, with a goal of exploring what May Day could look like in the years ahead and determining who is responsible for various aspects of the event.
“Basically we want to ensure May Day doesn’t die,” Graham told the Record.
Last fall, the school district’s May Day task force surveyed 203 district employees and found there is “little general support” for May Day and “meagre support” for the Royal Suite. Along with recommending May Day remain a school-based celebration for 2018 and 2019, the task force recommended the district discontinue the practice of selecting a Royal Suite and the board support transferring responsibility for the Royal Suite to a community organization.
A subsequent survey completed by 789 parents, residents, non-residents, students and others found that people were split on the task force’s recommendations: 47 per cent agreed that responsibility for the celebration should be transferred to community organizers, 45 per cent disagreed and nine per cent were undecided. Feedback on the Royal Suite was similarly divided.
The citizens’ group is currently gathering information to try to determine who is responsible for the various pieces of the May Day celebration and assess the financial requirements of putting on the event.
“Once you have an idea of where we are currently at, you know where we can go next,” Graham said. “It makes it easier to put together a roadmap for future ideas and decisions and things like that.”
Currently, the City of New Westminster, the New Westminster school district and the Hyack Festival Association all have roles in the May Day event and contribute funds to various components of the event. Members of the citizens’ group have met with the mayor and the interim school superintendent, but are hoping to line up meetings with Hyack and the school board.
“It absolutely begs cooperation to achieve it,” Graham said. “It was the school district’s own idea that the community pick it up. We have got to have information.”
Along with the three executive members, the citizen’s group has a “mini caucus” of about 15 people and has been approached by many other folks seeking information and wanting to get involved, Graham said.
“We haven’t even put anything out. This is just through word of mouth,” Graham said. “There is so much interest. I have 15 already super committed. I get a ton of people saying: What can I do? Can I come? Are there meetings? My answer is not yet, we have got time. It’s not like we are rushed to get this achieved for this May Day.”
