Kelowna musician writes song protesting new busking bylaws

A Kelowna musician is voicing his concern to recently-announced busking bylaw changes in the best way he knows how, by writing a protest song.

On Monday, Kelowna City Council approved a host of changes to the Okanagan city's busking and panhandling bylaws, including new fines for people who donate to panhandlers at intersections and a new requirement that buskers be licensed.

Permits are only available if the busker passes an audition with Festivals Kelowna, and downtown performances will be limited to designated busking locations noncompliance could result in a fine of $100.

"You're handcuffing people. It doesn't make sense," said Kelowna musician Barry Mathers, lead singer of a local band called The Cruzeros.

"It's not easy to make a living in the first place playing music ... and then to be restricted in that, it doesn't seem fair to me."

'Give us your cash and we might let you play'

Mathers wrote a Facebook post ahead of the council vote calling the proposed changes "ridiculous." He also wrote a song called "Pay to Play."

"Can't play your music around this town, unless you lay your money down," he sings.

"Pay to play, pay to play. Give us your cash and we might let you play."

Following a 6-3 vote, a divided city council proceeded with the changes Monday, despite not consulting with local musicians.

The city now says it will conduct a review of the busking program and consult with the local arts community.

'Part of it is a quality issue'

"All we've done is taken a program that up until now has been voluntarily and said let's make it a bylaw," said Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran.

"Part of it is a quality issue. We want to make sure the buskers downtown are the best they can be."

Basran says the changes bring Kelowna's busking laws in line with that of other Canadian municipalities.

City staff say there have been 155 complaints about buskers in Kelowna since 2010.

New rules for panhandlers

Also Monday, council approved changes to panhandling rules including the following:

• Allowing pandhandling between 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. PT.
• Reducing the allowable distance of pandhandling near ATM, bank and liquor store locations from 10 metres to 5 metres.
• Imposing fines of $250 to drivers who donate to panhandlers at meridians or intersections.

With files from CBC's Daybreak South and Chris Walker.