Poker Boat benefits outweigh any harm, council report
Posted Jul 22, 2010 By Bill Hutchins
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Tweet ThisEMC News - The Thousand Islands Poker Run should go ahead next month even though organizers won't provide compensation for the speedboat tailpipe emissions, according to a staff report to city council.
"Staff suggests that the issue of greenhouse gas emissions and the non-interest of event organizers to purchase carbon offsets should not be cause for the city to withhold permission to close roads" said a report co-authored by Utilities Kingston president Jim Keech and Sustainability commissioner Cynthia Beach.
Council can not prevent the poker boats from coming to Kingston during the August 6-8 weekend but it can refuse to close streets for the event. However, staff recommended the popular event proceed as planned because the economic benefits outweigh the environmental impact.
A recent report by the city's economic office estimated the annual Poker Run attracted 14,400 visitors last year and generated more than half a million dollars for the local economy through hotels, restaurants and other spending.
But an environmental study also found the three-day event produces as much carbon dioxide emissions as a 757 passenger plane flying round-trip from Toronto to Vancouver.
Organized by Poker Runs America, the unique event involves high performance boats going down the river from Kingston to Prescott to pick up a playing card at five checkpoints. The boat with the best poker hand wins.
Earlier this year, politicians asked Poker Run organizers to provide environmental compensation through the purchase of so-called carbon credits. But that hasn't happened in the months leading up to the August weekend.
Downtown Kingston, which is acting on behalf of the poker boats, says it has not been able to secure any form of sustainability fee.
Event organizers say they won't pay for the privilege of polluting the environment - as much as $8,000 a year - because the city currently has no formal policy covering all events. Poker Run supporters have complained the push by city council to impose a carbon credit system on them amounts to discrimination because pleasure and tour boats don't face the same scrutiny.
"Why aren't they attacking the tour boats about excess diesel fumes and emissions? Poker boats bring three to five million bucks to the city in three days. It's an economic boost that we don't have here," said Bob Ackley, who owns one of the muscle boats and enters the Thousand Islands Poker Run.
Councillors were left in a tricky position at their July 20 meeting over whether to grant street closures without carbon credits or force the hand of organizers to pay up or else.
City staff and Downtown Kingston say the benefits of bringing the speedboats to Kingston's waterfront outweigh the negatives.
"On the balance," said the report, "staff have concluded that while there is a negative and highly visible environmental impact associated with the Poker Run event, it is quantitatively small and offset by positive impacts - most notable economic and social."
The annual Poker Run is believed to be the first local event to be monitored for its impact on the environment and Kingston's sustainable city reputation.
"We're not cancelling anything. We're just asking them to negotiate with us and think about the consequences of their actions," said Coun. Rob Hutchison at the time the carbon offset motion was passed in January.
This year, organizers are seeking to close Ontario Street in front of city hall for most of the day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In addition to giant boats on display, the Poker Run will feature on-shore activities such as live entertainment, family-oriented games and a motorcycle and classic car display.
The free attendance event is touted as the third most popular drawing card to downtown Kingston every summer, after the Buskers and Blues Festival.
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