BALLOON BATTLE
Clowns say banning balloons from parks would burst their bubble
A circus of clowns are sad-faced and deflated over a proposed balloon-ban in Vancouver.
Animal and human safety concerns led Vancouver park board commissioner Stuart Mackinnon to spark his motion to prohibit the use or display of balloons in parks, community centres, and any other areas within park board jurisdiction.
But local clowns and balloon twisters against the sweeping ban say they’re responsible blowers who use biodegradable materials, clean up after parties and educate about safe use of the colourful inflatables.
Dilly — or Jim Milburn to those who meet him without makeup — was among a handful of entertainers who demonstrated their craft at Trout Lake early Monday in opposition to the motion.
“Kids will line up for an hour-anda-half, two hours, sometimes even longer to get balloons. And when you hand a child a balloon, the grins are just ear-to-ear,” said Milburn, who has been clowning since 1984 and took inspiration for his name from an advertisement for Dilly Bars, a frozen dessert sold at Dairy Queen.
Dilly uses balloons as props. Not those made of Mylar and filled with helium that can float away, however. Instead, clowns and twisters use air-filled latex balloons that eventually biodegrade, Dilly argued.
But Mackinnon debated that point. Before colourful pieces of discarded latex balloons can biodegrade, curious animals like birds and dolphins may eat them believing them to be a tasty snack. Those that do can starve from stomach or intestinal blockages, according to the motion that was to be debated late Monday night.
It’s not something he’s seen on park land in Vancouver, but said that doesn’t mean it’s not happening.
“There’s lots of evidence of sea animals in the Pacific Ocean that have been dredged up onto the shore and as their guts become exposed they’re filled with plastic objects,” Mackinnon said.
Balloon bans have been proposed or passed in jurisdictions, including New Jersey, Washington state and Western Australia, he said. For Mackinnon, the Canada-wide attention alone that his motion has raised means it’s a success.
“Even if it doesn’t pass, this has been a huge event … and its got people talking. Really, that pleases me greatly.” But clowns and twisters say a blanket ban makes no sense — particularly in indoor park facilities.
Kristal Yee started tying balloons around 2005. Twisting is a fulltime gig for Yee, who estimated she brings her balloons to about 150 events each year.
“I would hate to see balloons as a whole be banned because of a littering issue, when it really should be up to citizens to be responsible for their garbage, whether it be balloon scraps or Starbucks cups or plastic bags …” Yee said.
The timing of the proposed ban could hardly have been worse for clowns like Dilly.
The motion coincides with the theatrical release of IT, a horror film based on a Stephen King novel that has a homicidal, child-eating clown as its antagonist.
“There was a previous IT, and we’ve suffered long for that,” Dilly said, referring to a popular, locally-filmed miniseries that aired in 1990 and terrified kids and adults alike. “The IT movie has just been a nightmare for us.”
The ban also comes shortly before Halloween, a tough time for comedic clowns who cringe at creepy costumes that tarnish the trade.
“Late September through to Halloween night, we usually stay well hidden,” he said.