Canada Day celebration set for Erin

The Town of Erin is set to have a Canada Day celebration at McMillan Park for the first time since 2008.

Tracey Wallace brought a proposal to the Erin council meeting on May 19 asking that her Canada Day event be designated municipally significant so she could obtain permits to have a beer garden on the site.

“I quite frankly think that Canada Day is a day that we should be doing something,” said councillor John Brennan. “As a government in the province of Ontario and the country of Canada, this is our day. We ought to be doing something.”

In order for Wallace to fund the event through her event planning business, AAA Events, she said it was necessary to have the beer tent to recover some of the cost. Without it, she said, it would be fiscally impossible to run.

However, to receive the necessary permits from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission the event needed to be deemed municipally significant.  

Council was hesitant at first to grant the permit because it was unclear how much security would be provided and what hours the beer garden would operate.     

Councillor Rob Smith requested the beer garden open later so the early part of the day could be dedicated to families with kids.

After negotiations between Wallace and council it was decided the beer garden would operate from 1 to 7pm.

Councillors offered $50 each for a total of $250 from their “Good Guys Fund” to help pay for extra security requested for the event. They asked that two security guards be present when the beer garden is open.  

Council also passed a resolution that the event was municipally significant and approved the deviation from the alcohol risk management policy.

“I think our community needs as many events as we can do, especially in the summer,” councillor Matt Sammut said. “It’s a beautiful community and I think it’s great that we celebrate together.”

The July 1 celebration will offer food as well as live entertainment, children’s crafts and activities, a bike decorating contest and more.

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