RibFest application gets cooked by council after staff report

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

In a joint report made to council on Monday, Courtney Clarke, director of public works, and Hilary Williams, head of the bylaw department, recommended that council deny an application by the Ontario Festival Group to hold a RibFest event in Elgin Park this summer. The group appeared before council in January to request permission to host the event on June 19, 20, and 21. At the time, council referred the request to staff for a report and to the BIA for comment.

Clarke and Williams' report said June is a high activity period for Township parks and outdoor spaces, when staff are balancing regular park maintenance, seasonal camp programming, and the potential for community events that may be scheduled as the summer season approaches. They said that, based on past experience supporting the previous RibFest event, staff spent approximately 25 - 30+ hours supporting the event with coordination, site set-up and clean-up, inspections, responding to issues, permit and document review, meetings, and ongoing communication. They said RibFest required considerably more staff time than a typical park rental.

"Given the level of staff involvement required, staff do not view the event as a good fit for Elgin Park." the report said.

The report added that feedback from the BIA advised that food-focused events held at Elgin Park have a negative impact on downtown businesses, particularly restaurants. Several business owners reported a noticeable decline in sales during the RibFest weekend, suggesting that the event draws activity away from the downtown core.

Councillor Willie Popp said he had concerns about an organization that doesn't work well with staff. He said at the last RibFest, the organizers wanted to bring in a hot air balloon and bouncy castles, which were not in compliance with park rules. He said the event's signage was also a problem.

Regional councillor Bruce Garrod noted that the proposed dates were a week before Uxbridge's annual Springtide Music Festival, and he said it would be better to focus on Springtide. He also suggested the township support Springtide with a $1,500 donation.

Councillor Gord Shreeve said he had no choice but to support the report's recommendations since they came from three separate departments.

Council voted to deny Ontario Festival Group's application.