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Topic: Toronto's set to rock Return to archive
07-28-03 07:39 AM
Lazy Bones Monday, July 28, 2003

Toronto's set to rock
By JACQUIE DE ALMEIDA and JACK BOLAND -- Toronto Sun

Health Minister Tony Clement declared the Downsview SARS-Stock site ready to rock 'n' roll after an inspection preceding today's arrival of the Rolling Stones.

"It's a beehive of activity. Everyone is working non-stop and the stage looks great," Clement said after touring the former miliary base last night. "The scale of this thing is absolutely huge."

About 450,000 people are expected to attend the SARS relief concert in north Toronto on Wednesday.

Clement said he wanted to get a sense of the preparations and "see with my own eyes that things are working and going according to plan."

He also wanted to tour the site to make sure everything was in place for health-care workers who will be sitting in a special area close to the stage.

Mick and the boys are expected to arrive at Pearson airport from Prague about 6 p.m. today and get whisked away in a convoy of limos to a downtown hotel, but authorities are doing their best to keep the details secret.

Band members and some 60 family members will arrive in a designer-furnished jumbo jet in a highly secure area of the airport. Included in the entourage will be another two planes loaded with equipment.

The band will have a full day of rehearsals and sound checks on Tuesday.

Employees at some of the Stones' favourite haunts between gigs are also getting ready for their arrival.

The staff at the Sassafraz Cafe, a chic Yorkville restaurant favoured by the Stones in the past, is hoping to see the SARS saviours in person when they arrive in town today. Two pictures of Stones members adorn the cafe's walls of fame.

Greg Couillard, consulting chef and chief saucier, is excited about seeing his old friends back in town, especially since he was their head chef during the Toronto portion of their Voodoo Lounge tour in 1994.

"I saw them first in 1965 in Winnipeg and then 30 year later," Couillard said. "It was so extraordinary."

Asked what he might serve the white knights of rock 'n' roll if they show up, Couillard said it "could run the gamut," based on what he served at an impromptu show held for 900 people at RPM (now Kool Haus and The Guvernment) in 1994. "That time it was my Jamaican jump-up soup and of course Keith's (Richards) shepherd's pie."

Couillard said he hopes to get the nod to cook at the pre-party being held at the Atlantis pavilion at Ontario Place for special guests, artists and record industry execs.

Clement said he will be at the show from beginning to end and is looking forward to seeing the Guess Who and Rush. This will be his fourth time seeing the Rolling Stones, he added. "What a better way to celebrate Toronto than to have them here," he said.

GETTING THERE

GO TRAINS

# You must buy a special event day pass before Wednesday to use special late-night GO Transit concert service unless you already have a GO monthly pass or multi-ride ticket.

# Extended GO train service will run along the Lakeshore line from Union Station.

# Three extra trains will go eastbound to Oshawa, making all stops, with the last train leaving Toronto at 3:13 a.m.

# Three extra trains will go westbound to Hamilton, making all stops, with the last train leaving at 3:43 a.m.

# The first regularly scheduled morning train leaves Union at 6:13 a.m.

# Yonge C and Newmarket B service will run from the Finch GO bus terminal next to the Finch subway station.

Yorkdale and York Mills bus service will be adjusted for Wednesday due to concert-related road closings in the area.

All day:

# Canada's Wonderland service will only run to and from York Mills, not Yorkdale.

# Oshawa Hwy. 2 GO bus service will only run to and from York Mills, not Yorkdale, all day.

# Until 10 p.m., all bus service from the west, including Georgetown/ Brampton, Oakville Hwy. 403 and Milton services, will only run to and from Yorkdale, not York Mills.

# After 10 p.m. there will be no GO bus service to or from Yorkdale and only the regularly scheduled buses between Brampton and York Mills will operate.

More GO information can be found on the Web site www.gotransit.com or call 416-869-3200.

TTC

# Extra subway trains during the day.

# Passengers should exit at Downsview or Wilson stations and follow signs to the concert.

# Extra buses will run along the 84 Sheppard West route from Sheppard-Yonge station to Downsview station.

Leaving the concert:

# Walk if possible; east along Sheppard Ave. W. to Sheppard-Yonge station or south on Allen Rd. to Yorkdale, Lawrence West or Eglinton West stations.

# Extra subway trains following concert.

# Beginning at 8:30 p.m. shuttle-bus service along Sheppard Ave. W. to Sheppard-Yonge station.

# Buses normally serving Downsview and Wilson stations will be rerouted.

DRIVERS

Roads closed from 12:01 a.m. July 30 to 5 a.m. July 31:

# Allen Rd. southbound, Eglinton Ave. W. to Steeprock Dr.

# Allen Rd. northbound, Eglinton Ave. W. to Kennard Ave.

# Sheppard Ave. W. eastbound, Chesswood Dr. to Wilson Heights.

# Wilson Ave. westbound, Wilson Heights Blvd. to Dufferin St.

Roads closed from 7 p.m. July 30 to 5 a.m. July 31:

# Sheppard Ave. W. eastbound, Keele St. to Chesswood Dr.

# Sheppard Ave. W. westbound, Wilson Heights Blvd. to Keele St.

# Wilson Ave. eastbound, Dufferin St. to Wilson Heights Blvd.

Traffic access restricted from 11 a.m. July 30 to 5 a.m. July 31:

# Sheppard Ave. W., from Wilson Heights Blvd. to Yonge St.

Source: City of Toronto Transportation Services
07-28-03 07:39 AM
Lazy Bones Sunday, July 27, 2003

Toronto anticipates Stones' arrival
Three private jets bring band to Pearson
By TOM GODFREY -- Toronto Sun

TORONTO - Mick Jagger and the band will be rolling into town tomorrow in one of three chartered Stones' Air jets that'll touch down in a secluded area of Pearson airport.

Some 60 Rolling Stones' family members and top staff will arrive in a designer-furnished jumbo jet that'll roll up to a huge Pearson infield hangar used by Pope John Paul last year for World Youth Day.

Airport officials said another jumbo and a smaller aircraft loaded with equipment will pull up to a cargo area, where the gear will be quickly processed by Customs and loaded on a convoy of trucks for the trip to Downsview Park for Wednesday's mega concert.

Airport security officials said the leather-furnished Boeing 747 ferrying the Stones from a concert in Prague has been converted to include a large kitchen, boardroom and the latest in space-age technology.

PRIVACY REQUEST

Peel Regional Police and airport security officers said they'll patrol the hangar area to ward off die-hard fans craning to catch a glimpse of the band, whose organizers have requested privacy on arrival.

Sections of an airport parking lot near the hangar will be roped off by security officials.

"There's been no request for special security," one Pearson official said.

"Their only request was for privacy."

Airport workers said the band will be met on the tarmac by concert-organizer friends and perhaps some politicians, although no dignitaries have requested airport security passes to meet the plane.

Peter Gregg, of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, said yesterday he couldn't comment on the Stones' arrival due to privacy concerns. Canada Customs officials offered a similar response.

Peel police Insp. Gary Wright said his force has not been asked to provide increased security but will monitor the arrival.

Customs officials said a team of 10 officers has been assigned to process the Stones' flight.

ESCORT LIMOS

Two officers will board the flight to stamp passports and take a quick look for contraband. Passengers will be banned from bringing open foodstuffs into the country for health reasons.

Police are expected to provide a motorcycle escort to whisk a convoy of limos containing the band to a downtown hotel, where they'll meet other musicians performing in the SARS relief concert.

The band will have a full-day of rehearsals and soundchecks on Tuesday.

They will be returning to Europe to continue their concert tour right after Wednesday's concert.

Band organizers will today relay to Customs officials a manifest of passengers arriving on the plane so background checks can be conducted beforehand.

Customs officials are also prepared to whisk through the airport members of AC/DC who are also arriving tomorrow.
07-28-03 07:40 AM
Lazy Bones Saturday, July 26, 2003

Satisfaction guaranteed
Stones ducats gone in a heartbeat
By PABLO FERNANDEZ -- Calgary Sun

CALGARY -- Free tickets for the Rolling Stones concert -- to be broadcast at the Saddledome from Toronto -- were snapped up yesterday in a jumpin' jack flash.

The 16,000 tickets for the Calgary Unity Concert, which were distributed at local Co-op stores on a first-come, first-serve basis, were gone in less than 20 minutes.

Ticketholders will be treated to a free barbecue and granted entrance to the Pengrowth Saddledome for the simulcast of the Stones' SARS benefit concert in Toronto next Wednesday.

The simulcast, which starts at 3 p.m., will be preceded by a free festival with live music and beef on a bun at the Stampede grounds.

The ducats "were a really hot, really popular item," said Co-op spokeswoman Donna Burns.

"We expected lineups at all of our centres for a couple of reasons -- it's a great cause and it's the Rolling Stones.

"But it's certainly not something we usually see."

Some of the centres reported Stones fans brought their sleeping bags to the stores and started to line up at 4:30 a.m.

The Beddington, Shawnessy and South Trail locations all ran out of tickets within 12 minutes of the stores opening.

The store that took the longest to run out was the Airdrie location.

Their tickets lasted just over 20 minutes, said Burns.

"It's an interesting, fun event for the community and certainly a good cause, as it supports the beef industry," said Burns.

Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier said "the overwhelming response reflects the enthusiasm with which Calgarians are getting behind this event and the important national issues the concert supports."

All donations garnered through the event will go towards the Beef Industries Relief Fund.
07-28-03 10:15 AM
Lazy Bones Mon, July 28, 2003

Chief: Let's party!
Fantino says his force is ready for duty at Downsview
By GEORGE CHRISTOPOULOS, CITY HALL BUREAU


The city's top cop is counting on Sir Mick and the boys to leave no stones unturned at Toronto's SARS-stock. "I'm sure they know why they're here ... They're coming to our emotional rescue," Police Chief Julian Fantino said. The sparks will no doubt fly, he said, when the legendary rockers take to the stage in front of half a million or so people to make music history at the former military-base-turned-rock-'n'-roll venue, Downsview Park.

"When you get the Rolling Stones, who obviously don't have to come to Toronto to do a concert, it tells you a lot about the way they feel about the city," Fantino said from his seventh-floor office at police headquarters on College St.

"The Stones are committed and they're wanting this to be a very successful concert for them, and it's a huge concert and I'm sure they, like us, are looking at this as their signature," he said.

"So when we get into this, we have every reason in the world to make it happen successfully because our signature is on it," Fantino said.

"People who are going to the concert to have a few beers, spend the day under a unique circumstance, will be able to tell their children and grandchildren ... it's a legacy kind of thing even for the officers," he said.

Calling it one of the world's largest-ever single-day ticketed events, Fantino said the last thing Toronto needs is media images of unruly fans, disorder, and panicky rock stars at Wednesday's concert.

2,000 OFFICERS

With upwards of 2,000 police officers, including the OPP, from four cities and 1,500 security staff, Fantino said "the likelihood of any nonsense happening is up to the concert-goers."

"I expect those coming there will include people of mature years and responsible people. I hope they will influence those who may decide to be unruly and otherwise disruptive to not screw up an internationally viewed event," he said.

Fantino said the cops will be watchful, monitoring the crowd from land and even in the air -- thanks to York and Durham region's police chopper.

"We see this as a great opportunity to show our stuff, show the world that we're a world-class city and that we're competent and able to pull it off," Fantino said.

Joining Fantino in the interview were Staff-Supt. Gary Grant and Staff-Sgt. Glenn Phyper -- two senior officers who've played key roles in laying out the force's security plan -- and John Sandeman, head of the force's corporate communications.

"We're not looking for trouble, we're not looking to cause trouble, but, if trouble starts, we'll deal with it," Fantino said.

"How much trouble can 60-year-old guys cause?" he quipped.

All kidding aside, the chief, also 60, said police will have little sympathy for any devilish behaviour from the crowd attending the event, aimed at helping Toronto tourism recover from SARS.

"This is a very important issue and the last thing we can afford is for this event to be seen as a flop in the eyes of the world," Fantino said.

Fantino will be stationed on the ground, solving problems, "and we're going to have many."

He admitted pulling off such an event -- confirmed in mid-June -- without a hitch will take some work. The force spent more than a year planning last year's papal visit, which attracted 800,000.

"We've learned a lot from the papal visit, everybody would have liked more time but we have a solid security plan in place," Grant said.

Aside from the police command post, Grant said there are five mobile police stations on the grounds strategically placed in a semi-circle around the perimeter of the crowd.

The stations will be staffed by police officers and paramedics.

"It's a very unique efficiency for those in attendance that need police assistance or medical help," Grant said, adding the idea was a result of a post-assessment of the papal visit.

Phyper likened the police stations to a compound.

"It's cordoned off and within it EMS have their trailers where they can treat people, police have their own trailer for officers, there's a staff Sgt. in charge of each one.

"It's a very unique mixture that's never been done before and managing a crowd that large is a major issue," he said.

Fantino said their mission is to look after safety "but don't expect for one moment that we're going to fall on our swords just because some have behaved negatively ... those people will have to take responsibility for it and they'll be held accountable for it."

'WELL REPRESENTED'

"We're going to have a very strategic placement of officers, both uniformed and plainclothes and they'll be around.

"All I'm saying is that we'll be well represented, both obvious and not so obvious."

Three entry gates will ensure security guards can make the usual concert checks for booze, drugs and banned materials.

While police agree with these rules, Fantino stressed they didn't make them -- he said they were set by the concert promoters.

Fantino said he was upset by the unfair criticism -- particularly from city councillors Denzil Minnan-Wong, Sandra Bussin and Kyle Rae -- levelled at police because they first announced the restrictions.

The trio had said the police were taking the fun out of the show.

"We've always known that reasonable people will continue to be reasonable and jerks will continue to be jerks," Fantino said.

"It was people who were not informed, it was the cheap shot that we don't need, for people to tear down and criticize.

He said Toronto can ill afford the concert turning into a booze fest where people needlessly get hurt.

"The promoters have said if there's any problem at the beer tents, shut them down," Grant said of the 12 beer gardens that can each hold 5,000 people.

"This concert will be historic," Sandeman added, noting he'd heard, if all goes as planned, "the concert could translate into $500 million in marketing advertising dollars."

"That's huge," Sandeman said.