‘It’s not an issue limited to Wasaga Beach’: call for tougher car rally measures gets support from other towns

A host of municipalities have rallied behind Wasaga Beach to ask the province for tougher rules on illegal gatherings of car enthusiasts.

The town was inundated in late September by drivers and their vehicles in a so-called ‘pop-up’ H2Oi car rally, in spite of the urging of OPP and local municipal officials for people to stay home.

The drivers came, regardless, and that resulted in about a dozen charges under the Reopening Ontario Act put in place due to the pandemic.

Police took 14 cars off the road for a variety of infractions, from street racing to having an unsafe vehicle.

At its Nov. 25 meeting, council received a motion from Halton Hills — in response to a letter to Premier Doug Ford from Wasaga Mayor Nina Bifolchi on Oct. 1 — and supporting letters from South Bruce Peninsula, Northumberland and the Township of Douro-Dummer, asking the Ontario government to develop tougher laws and larger financial penalties for unauthorized car rallies and participants.

“As a fellow tourist community, we understand the extreme upset that was caused in Wasaga Beach,” read the letter from South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Janice Jackson. “As more and more alarming behaviour is displayed, it becomes ever more apparent that training and support resources are required by our police forces.

“More support is required to ensure that these front-line peacekeepers are able to perform their duties without hesitation and with expert skills.”

In her Oct. 1 letter, Bifolchi made a number of recommendations to the premier, including enforcement and increased fines related to the display of licence plates, the use of improper exhaust, and the use of nitrous oxide fuel systems. Suggested penalties included higher fines, vehicle impoundment, and automatic licence suspensions.

She also suggested that municipalities have the authority to close its borders with the assistance of the OPP.

“It’s not an issue limited to Wasaga Beach,” said Wasaga Beach Coun. David Foster during the Nov. 25 meeting. “It’s disheartening to a certain extent that this is going on, not only from public safety, but also in relation to COVID-19.

“For those who say this is just kids having fun, you go, at what cost?” he said.