Fall is just around the corner, and there is hope that some of the town’s planned events will go on as scheduled in a modified format that adheres to proper health and safety measures.
A report from Bethany Kuboniwa, Leisure Events and Marketing Coordinator, was received in Tuesday night’s meeting of council outlining the timeframes and deadlines for decisions on the town’s fall and winter events.
“We had to cancel a lot of events this spring and summer,” she said. “The goal is, moving forward, looking to see how we can modify the events to still offer something.”
She added, “With some planning and co-operation I think it’s definitely feasible."
The following town events are on the schedule, with decisions on cancellations needing to be made a few weeks to one month in advance:
- Run for BWG - Sept. 13, 2020
- Terry Fox Run -Sept. 20, 220
- Pumpkin Fest Oct. 17, 2020
- Remembrance Day Parade - Nov. 8, 2020
- Santa Claus Parade - Nov. 21, 2020
- Celebrate Christmas - Dec. 4, 2020
- Family First Night - Dec. 31, 2020
- Mayor's Levee - Jan. 10, 2021
- Hockey Day - Feb. 13, 2021
Deputy Mayor James Leduc asked if any of the event organizers have expressed interest in resuming their events this year, in particular the organizers of the upcoming Runs in September. He noted that up to 100 people are now permitted to assemble out-of-doors, which could allow the Runs to take place.
Kuboniwa confirmed she would be following up with organizers this week to see what is feasible in terms of attendance, physical distancing guidelines and types of activities planned, but noted the Runs do rely heavily on volunteers, and so may not have the capacity to go ahead this year.
Leduc asked if it was possible to have staff assist if there are not enough volunteers for the runs, but Kuboniwa said it would depend on if the organizers have enough resources for planning.
“Would it be fair to say you can go ahead with the Run if you can stick to under 100 (people)?” asked Mayor Rob Keffer. “I think we’d still like them, so it’d be a matter of you getting in touch with organizers to see if they were still willing to proceed.”
Leduc wondered if the proposed cancellation deadlines are flexible, noting that many of the events are outdoors and would be good for residents' mental health. "Some of these events, in my mind, are great events to have," he said.
Director of Community Services Terry Foran confirmed that the cancellation deadlines are not firm - like the Aug. 21 deadline to cancel Pumpkin Fest - and staff can still explore ways to host events on a smaller scale, adhering to the government’s outdoor gathering restrictions.
Last year, the annual PumpkinFest in October at Henderson Park saw "thousands and thousands of people attend," which, he noted, would not comply with current government limits.
Coun. Mark Contois wondered if it was possible to host Pumpkin Fest in smaller groups, at a number of different sites. “Multiple little Pumpkin Fests instead of one grandioso. Has any thought gone into that?”
Using multiple sites is "a great idea," Kuboniwa said. "Pumpkin Fest is one of my favourite events." She suggested the town could also look at staggered start times, and asking people to pre-register for a time-slot.
Deputy Mayor Leduc called the suggestions, "thinking outside of the box."
As for the Santa Claus Parade, Foran said it is a “different beast altogether” noting residents typically line the streets "shoulder to shoulder" to watch the event, which poses a challenge for physical distancing - and marching bands are generally booked by August.
“It’s very tricky. Who is going to be interested? Who is going to want to participate?” Foran asked, noting that BWG is not alone in dealing with these issues. “Other towns are trying to solve this. No one has an answer today, but we’re working on it."
Kuboniwa also noted town staff would need enough lead time to submit permits to the South Simcoe Police in order to have enough officers available to close streets and offer crowd control.
Coun. Raj Sandhu suggested that since the Remembrance Day Parade does not attract the same large turnout as the Santa Parade, it should be able to proceed as scheduled. "Some of these dates, we don't need to make the decision" immediately, he said, but could wait until later in the year.
“It’s really sad to see us constantly cancelling events,” said Coun. Peter Ferragine. “Do we know of any other municipality that has hosted anything as of late? It just really sucks that we are constantly cancelling these events, but we have to be safe and smart about it."
"A lot of municipalities are in the same situation," Kuboniwa said, with blanket cancellations into September. “We are looking to see how we can modify the events to still offer something"
Council voted unanimously to approve the report’s recommendations.
To view the full report, click here.
