The mayor of an Ontario town is celebrating a successful enforcement blitz he said shut down an illegal car rally planned for the Labour Day weekend.
Mayor Brian Smith, of Wasaga Beach, said a team of emergency services, police and other enforcement officers had stopped an unsanctioned car event in its tracks. Earlier in the week, the Town of Wasaga Beach was granted a court injunction to stop the event.
In a statement, the mayor estimated 500 vehicles had planned to take part in the event.
The town closed Klondike Road on Saturday night to prevent vehicles from turning up to the event, the statement said. The road has reopened since.
“The Emergency Operations Centre will remain open and the municipality will continue to implement its plan today to ensure public safety,” the local fire chief said. “We appreciate the continued support of the OPP, municipal staff and the community.”
An injunction granted to the town earlier in the week gave it increased enforcement powers to punish anyone attending the unsanctioned event.
Wasaga Beach said no permits had been issued for a rally named H2Oi, adding that “these types of gatherings are illegal.”
The order allowed Ontario Provincial Police to arrest anyone attending the event “with knowledge of the order and who is contravening or has contravened any part of the order.”
Police said officers laid 97 charges on Friday and another 160 on Saturday. “Some of the charges include speeding, licence plate violations, vehicle tire violations and driver’s licence offences,” OPP said in a media release.
The town said Saturday night did see a “small group” of vehicles enter the town. “Any illegal activity was (safely) and quickly addressed,” the statement read.
Comments