'People will come whether we like it or not'
Another Friday the 13th motorcycle rally looms
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PORT DOVER – The spontaneous nature of Friday the 13th motorcycle rallies is raising serious questions for Norfolk County during the pandemic.
On the one hand, the only control on the event – which has repeatedly drawn more than 100,000 people and 10,000-plus motorcycles – is the calendar. Since 1981, motorcycle enthusiasts across southern Ontario and beyond have known it is the time to head to Port Dover when the calendar rolls around to Friday the 13th.
On the other, the provincial government is losing patience with Ontarians who gather in large numbers despite public-health orders to maintain social distancing to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The next Friday the 13th arrives in November, potentially setting the stage for a large crowd in Port Dover.
This week, Norfolk staff tabled a report saying the county should discourage peddlers and hawkers but issue a limited number of vendor permits for Nov. 13. Were that to happen, some on Norfolk council wonder if the municipality might run afoul of Queen’s Park now that COVID-19 numbers are rising again in Ontario.
“It’s too much of a contradiction for me,” Mayor Kristal Chopp told council Tuesday.
“To me, we may be directly in contravention of what the province is doing. This is a unique year in a unique situation. I do want that answer. I do believe in a regional solution (to the pandemic). I want to know what the premier thinks of Friday the 13th.”
Coun. Kim Huffman said she thinks Norfolk should issue no permits because of the pandemic.
“This should be a non-event as far as Norfolk County is concerned. Norfolk County should be nothing but a passive observer, and we should hope for a very low attendance.”
Several days before the global pandemic was declared in March, observers were already criticizing the hundreds of people who gathered in Port Dover for the last Friday the 13th that month.
“This is a difficult event to evaluate,” Catherine Dougherty, administrative co-ordinator in Norfolk’s community and emergency services division, said in a report to council.
“As a county, we do not encourage behaviours that increase the risk of COVID-19 spread, and a Friday the 13th event may create situations of increased risk. This being said, with every Friday the 13th, the county does not control the event and has limited ability to discourage visitation. In short, people will come whether we like it or not.”
At this point, Norfolk staff is thinking it should accommodate local, non-profit groups that wish to prepare in November’s rally for fundraising purposes. This would include business licensing with an emphasis on safety plans to ensure social distancing and other health protocols related to face masks and frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces.
Conversely, staff would discourage out-of-town vendors, asking them to consider trying again once the coronavirus has abated.
Staff also was directed to pursue a diplomatic messaging campaign seeking to discourage widespread travel to Norfolk on Nov. 13. As well, staff was asked to seek guidance from the province on how best to navigate this situation, given that Friday the 13this an uncontrolled event with a life of its own.
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