Vancouver sand sculptures

Yep! Not the Vancouver ones though. We used to have one of hte biggest sandcastle competitions in Canada about 20 minutes from where I live (really its two towns, but one community). Ppl came from all over the world to attend, there was professional classes, as well as kids classes, amateurs etc. One year, about 10 years ago I would guess, there were some idiots who (and let me mention, not from this area) decided to start rioting in the streets. It was horrible, we had something like 6 or 7 different police departments, dog handlers from all over the island, riot squads from Victoria etc. They were looting the stores, police had tear gas etc. From that year on everything to do with sandcastles was cancelled. They are bringing it back slowly, but no more beer gardens, no more dances (which I think if they would have just eliminated these two events with teh alcohol, all would have been fine), one day with kids competitions, and the professional sculptures are all up off the beach and preserved, which I don't think is as neat as having them down on the beach, no glue and at the mercy of the tide. When it was in its prime we would have an extra 100,000 ppl come through the communities (I think the population is somewhere around 25,000, so HUGE increase!) over that weekend. It was a huge deal tourist wise for this area. However, this area is touristy enough, we don't really need any help in that area.

Its just not the same as it used to be. Other communities have had similar problems with their sandcastle events, I know the one in the interior has been cancelled for the same reasons, and I think they have done major changes to the one in Vancouver.

I will have to post pics from the ones that are done this year, I think its in July or August.