Striking a defiant stance against the damaging clot of illegal car rallies that repeatedly mar the tranquility of the coastal town, the councillors of Wasaga Beach have unanimously approved a motion. This motion entreats the provincial authorities to form an action-oriented task force which will provide the needed aid to deal with these unauthorized events.
This countermove was necessitated following the recent unlawful intrusion of another rally that was bent on usurping the town during the Labour Day weekend.
“Our resolve to protect the people of our community is unwavering. Their safety is a paramount concern,” affirmed Danny Rodgers, the General Manager of Wasaga Beach Development Services.
The Town, earlier this year, extended an olive branch to the H20i rally organizers, envisioning a beneficial partnership to establish a legally abiding event that could be a source of enjoyment for everyone.
Regrettably, as Rodgers illuminated, the rally organizers rebuffed the town’s proposition, choosing chaos over cooperation.
Resorting to court orders, the Town had enacted strict preventive measures, spanning vehicle checkpoints to road closures. The law enforcement officers repelled 400 vehicles at the town’s perimeters, dispersing upwards of 250 charges.
Rodgers emphasized the prolonged and intensive preparation that this involved. “We devoted months to planning, to gathering intelligence, to coordinating with the OPP. The current framework of municipalities was not designed to cope with challenges like this.”
Petitioning for a higher level intervention, Deputy Mayor Tanya Snell suggested, “The province needs to arrive on the scene, conceive a robust framework and a strategic plan that can then be disseminated to all other municipalities in Ontario.”
Rodgers also underlined the exorbitant expenditure involved in preserving peace and order, that stretched from staffing to signage, over a single weekend. “The demands on our personnel and resources, to staff checkpoints round-the-clock for three or four consecutive days is enormous.”
The Wasaga Beach town is instantaneously appealing for province level assistance and beseeching its entire community to unite against such rallies. This extends to urging entrepreneurs to desist from facilitating events that cater to these unruly crowds.
Devastation cast by such an H20i rally in Ocean City, New Jersey was brought to light in the form of a presentation to the Town Council on Thursday. A tragic loss of two lives during the previous summer’s rally sharply emphasized the critical threat these rallies pose to communities.
