Norfolk County Fire Chief Gord Stilwell says it’s only a matter of time before something serious happens at a Friday the 13thth event in Port Dover.
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He told councilors at a meeting on Wednesday there’s a significant safety risk when 100,000 or more people, including thousands of motorcycle riders, descend on the lakeside community of about 8,000. The next Friday the 13thth is in September.
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“People don’t see the potential of what can happen,” Stilwell said. “We always have discussions that nothing has happened yet. Unfortunately, in emergency services, things will happen. It’s not if, it’s when.”
Stilwell made the comments prior to council voting to allow motorcycle parking on the site of the former Norfolk Tavern. The Main Street building was razed early this year and is now a municipal parking lot.
In an effort to allow more motorcycle parking on Main Street, as had been done in the past, Norfolk Mayor Amy Martin asked county staff to investigate potential options, with input from emergency services, including fire, paramedics and OPP.
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The current parking arrangement puts bikes down by the pier and the beach as well as on St. George and St. Andrew Street, clearing much of Main Street for emergency vehicles should they be needed.
“The whole idea with Friday the 13thth is people want to look at those fancy bikes and interact with them,” said Coun. Chris VanPaassen. “So, you have to put people and bikes in the same spot. The only way to do it safely is to make sure only 5,000 people show up but we can’t help it when 150,000 show up.
“Safety is a large factor but we’re also here to create an environment for our community to thrive and our service clubs to thrive.”
The unsanctioned event has been drawing motorcyclists to the town for 40 years whenever there is a Friday the 13th. The gathering has grown substantially over the years, putting a strain on emergency services and requiring planning up to a year in advance, said Stilwell, adding that personnel and equipment still need to be available in a case of emergency elsewhere in the county.
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In a report to council, Stilwell offered three parking options, including the status quo; parking on both sides of Market Street East, Park Street and Clinton Street; and adding parking on both sides along a small section of Main Street. A fourth option suggested the county hire a consultant to conduct a special events traffic safety study ahead of next year’s Friday the 13thth event in June.
“We’re not here to try to ruin the event,” said Stilwell. “We’re trying to make it safe for all of our staff, all of our emergency service partners and the participants.”
Norfolk OPP Insp. Andrew Tait said alcohol consumption is a big factor at the event and agreed, along with the other emergency service staff, that parking remains status quo.
“If we’re regressing back to previous ways, there better be significant reasoning and rationale,” said Tait.
A report will come to council later this year analyzing the parking changes at the September event.
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