Cape Breton regional council votes in favour of ban on nighttime parades

Cape Breton regional council held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss new proposed recommendations from municipal staff, including representatives from police, aimed at making parades safer for the general public.

The recommendations provided by municipal staff and police include limiting all parade routes to a maximum of four kilometres in length and requiring that all parades held in the regional municipality take place during daylight hours and under adequate visibility conditions.

Moreover, staff recommended only two yearly regional parades be approved: the Pride parade in the summer and the Christmas parade in winter.

READ MORE: Death of 4-year-old Yarmouth, N.S., girl highlights parade safety

Council said safety is the main priority in these considerations, especially in light of recent events in which there have been two near misses involving children and a fatality.

In Yarmouth last year, a four-year-old child died after she was run over by a float as the town’s annual Christmas Parade of Lights was drawing to a close.

On Wednesday, Cape Breton regional council voted 7-4 to ban nighttime parades, leaving some councillors disappointed.

Coun. Kendra Coombes of District 11 was one of the four councillors who voted against the nighttime ban, along with Mayor Cecil Clarke, Coun. Earlene MacMullin and Coun. Amanda McDougall.

READ MORE: N.S. parade organizers emphasize safety after child dies at Yarmouth parade

“Two incidents have occurred during parades. One incident happened in the day and one incident happened that night. We’ve had incidents happen in both,” said Coombes.

“I think we need to actually look at the reasons for the incidents.”

Coombes said there were already rules established by council following the incidents to mitigate risks and keep people safe.

“We’ve asked for spotters, one to be in the back and one in front of every float, walking alongside it,” she said.

READ MORE: N.S. town grieving loss of four-year-old killed during Santa Claus parade

“There’s no throwing of candy or anything towards the crowd. If you’re going to bring something to the crowd, bring it to them, pass it to them personally.”

She also said that all streets on a parade route should be closed to motor vehicles.

Coombes said that based on the comments and posts left by community members on Facebook, she assumes people are “not too happy” about the ban.

“I think they’re also not happy about not being consulted,” she said.

But Coun. Darren Bruckschwaiger of District 10, who voted for the ban, said it’s best to follow the recommendations of police.

“I defer to our police because they’re involved with this. They’re in charge of traffic and safety. And how would it look if I didn’t accept their recommendation and we actually had an accident?” said Bruckschwaiger.

READ MORE: N.B. seaside village changes parade rules in wake of 4-year-old’s death

“I have to make decisions based on the best available information. And for me, it’s our police force who were involved in this.”

Bruckschwaiger went on to say that some are upset about the ban but many others are in support of his decision.

“Go to my Facebook site, punch in my name. You’ll see a lot of the comments on my wall, and most have been very positive based on how I come to my decision,” he said.

Clarke said nighttime parades are part of the “community spirit” and what citizens do to celebrate being in the community, especially at Christmas time.

Currently, there are five nighttime events scheduled by different community groups in the municipality.

“When it came to the matter of evening, it was a recommendation versus a requirement in terms of public safety. And so I voted the way I felt that I knew citizens would still want to maintain that with improved safety standards in place,” Clarke said.