Town council has declared Erin’s Canada Day event as municipally significant, despite CAO Kathryn Ironmonger’s recommendation to deny the request.
AAA events requested its 2016 Canada Day event in McMillan Park be declared municipally significant in order to obtain a liquor licence. It also requested permission to have only one security guard, rather than the required two, to reduce costs.
AAA events held the event last year, but lost about $800.
“I went to this event last year and really didn’t see it getting out of hand or anything,” said councillor Rob Smith.
“I think it was really well organized. I don’t really feel threatened about this year.”
Ironmonger explained that to approve the request council would have to waive two alcohol policies: one regarding no alcohol at “youth events” and a new policy stating alcohol is prohibited at McMillan Park.
“Being your senior staff person, I have to be the bad guy and tell you that I don’t support it for the extra liability that council takes on,” she said.
She reiterated her position in a report but provided two options to council:
– support the event but deny the “municipally significant” designation; and
– declare the event significant but still require AAA hire a minimum of two security guards.
However councillors were strong with their support for the event.
“This is Canada Day, I mean for God’s sake, if we’re not doing this ourselves let’s take our hats off and thank somebody in the community who is doing it and let’s make it as easy as possible for that to happen,” said councillor John Brennan.
“I think we should be bending over backwards to celebrate this day. Anything less than that is unacceptable in my mind.”
Council voted unanimously to declare the event municipally significant, require two security guards and waive the two alcohol policies.
