 The festival took its name from the well-known book of the same name by Malcolm Lowry, who squatted adjacent to the festival site during the 1940s-50s.The festival was started in 1990 by Vancouver social activist and artist Irwin Oostindie, and was produced by a dedicated group of volunteers (including Meegan Maulstaid) until its 20th anniversary, in 2010.UTV featured a number of high-profile activists and entertainers in its 20 years of existence, including