answers

1) What is the problem you are trying to solve?

     The problem that I am trying to solve is whether or not the Benson & Hedges Symphony of Fire should continue on, even though there is controversy over the sponsoring company and the police's control tactics. The main issue is whether or not is economically and socially profitable to try and find alterative avenues to keep this long standing tradition alive in Vancouver.

2) Is the solution obvious? Why or why not?

     I think the solution is obvious because there are various alternatives that can be examined to perhaps replace the existing sponsor. It is obvious that the local businesses profit from the business generated from the fireworks, which gives them additional exposure to the public. The fireworks also promote tourism within Vancouver, as people travel across the border from the U.S. to come and watch the Symphony of Fire every summer. It creates jobs as various vendors set up booths, and more police officers and transportation facilities are utilized to control local traffic.

3) What are some possible solutions? Have any of these been attempted in the past?

     Possible solutions to these problems are to find other sponsors who are less controversial such as the City of Vancouver, local businesses, or big banks such as CIBC or TD/Canada Trust. Another suggestion has been to perhaps charge admission fees to view the fireworks from the hot spots such as English Bay or Kits Beach. To my knowledge the fireworks have always been held by Benson and Hedges, so the suggested solutions have not been attempted in the past, except as additional sponsors (local radio stations) who help by advertising the event.

4) For each possible solution who would gain and who would lose? What controversies are there? Are there some groups that would be very unhappy if they did not get their way?

     Regardless of who puts on the fireworks show, I think it is the public that gains because they get to enjoy the fireworks. If local businesses are chosen to pay for the fireworks, they would probably lose more than they would gain, because the extra profits they make from the additional customers would probably not be as great as the cost of organizing the fireworks. If the City of Vancouver pays for the fireworks, it would be controversial because the tax payers would not be happy, and those who live around the major hot spots already suffer from the disruptions caused by the fireworks. In addition, the police force might enforce stricter measures because they have better communication lines with the City of Vancouver than they do with Benson and Hedges. As a result, in an effort to better control traffic, they may do more search and seizures on citizens, which would create more tension and conflict over the rights and freedoms of all individuals. If big banks were to take over the sponsorship, the banks would benefit from local exposure, however, some people might see this as another example of the bigger banks trying to crush smaller competitors.

5) If double the money were availabe, what would the solution be?

    The main problem with having the Symphony of Fire, is the fact that it is sponsored by a tobacco company and as a result, some people feel that it promotes and influences people to smoke. However, if there was double money available to spend then anyone could take over the sponorship and keep the fireworks going.

6) If no government funds are available, what would be the best solution be?

     The best solution would probably be to having a bigger company take over the sponorship, such as CIBC or TD because they are probably the least controversial alternative. Another possibility is if the fireworks were scaled down, to make them more affordable, perhaps they could be funded by local donations, and then the collected monies could be donated to various charities.

7) What would happen in 10 years if this problem is ignored?

     This event is annual, so the real question is whether or not to continue the event at all. Perhaps, if the Benson and Hedges sponorship is continued and no effort is made to study the effects of whether or not it promotes the use of tobacco, it may raise concerns over health issues.

8) What professionals in addition to an economist would be required to solve this problem?

      I think the Health Board has concerns over the use of Benson and Hedges as a sponsor, since they are a tobacco company. Their input would be needed to ensure that either smoking prevention is advertised at the fireworks, or their expertise could be used to find another suitable sponsor. The City of Vancouver also has control over this event as it is held in Vancouver, so there input and ideas would be beneficial. The Vancouver City Police might also want to contribute to collectively find solutions to ensure the continuation of the fireworks. The input of Translink and other local business would be beneficial as well to find out how much additional revenue is actually created during the fireworks.

9) What questions would you need Government Officials?

     The questions that I would need to ask Government Officials are who is exactly in charge of the organization of the fireworks, who has legal control over it, and what are the actual costs and benefits involved.

10) What questions woud you need to ask Business Owners?

      The questions that I would need to ask local business owners are whether or not they make profits during the Symphony of Fire, whether or not there are any additional costs that are incurred because of this event such as covering damage costs, or having additional staff or security.

11) What questions would you need to ask Residents of the area?

      The most important question that I would ask the residents of the area, is whether they are for or against the continuation of the fireworks because they are directly affected by the noise pollution and traffic congestion.

12) What question would you need to ask Non-Residents of the area?

     The main question that I would need to ask Non-Residents of the area are whether or not they would go to watch the fireworks, and how much they are affected by who sponsors the event.

13) If unlimited data were available, what would you like? What data on costs would you like to have?

      If unlimited data were available, I would like to obtain the results of how people feel about the current sponsorship of the fireworks, and whether or not it really does promote the use of tobacco or cigarettes. I would also like to see how much B.C. actually profits from this event each year. The data on costs that I would like to obtain would be the actual costs of running the entire fireworks show, and any social costs that are created as a direct result.
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