Ontario town cracks down on processions and car parades

Citizens of Burlington, Ontario, who have been skirting around social distancing protocols by celebrating special occasions with drive-by processions and parades will have to to keep it to less than five vehicles from now on, according to Global News.

“Upon review of provincial emergency orders, any parade larger than five vehicles at one time would be prohibited,” wrote the city in a press release. “These drive-by celebrations have a small but powerful, positive influence on the participants, the recipients as well as the surrounding neighbourhoods, and we need to find a way to support them in a controlled and legal manner.”

While the city is willing to allow them to continue, they are going to implement some restrictions on the size, frequency and duration of these events.

Parades have been discouraged by Halton Region Public Health however they did provide certain guidelines to allow for the limited opportunity to have small-scale processions.

Rules within the emergency order that have already been put in place by Ontario's provincial government were referenced in their recommendations, such as prohibiting people from having public events of more than five people, which includes parades.

Halton Region Public Health recommendations are as follows:

• Remain in your vehicle during the entire event.
• Do not interact or gather with individuals outside of the vehicles.
• Ensure only household members are in the vehicles.
• Reduce the need for in-person co-ordination by providing written or telephone directions in advance.
• Limit the distance participants are driving.
• Consider limiting the number of vehicles permitted.
• Continue to follow the rules of the road.
• Follow relevant local regulations with respect to events/parades.

Organizers of small-scale parades have been asked by the City of Burlington to adhere to the provincial orders and advice from public health officials, such as guidelines to:

• Limit participation to immediate family and close friends and no more than five vehicles at any one time in a procession.
• Alert your neighbours in advance of the planned procession and timing to the degree possible while maintaining social distancing (for example, providing notice via email or a neighbourhood Facebook Group).
• Ensure any decorations on a vehicle (ribbons, balloons, stuffed toys) are properly secured.
• Instead of gathering at a centralized location to form a queue, provide a window of time for participants to make their way individually to the location and drive by.
• Acknowledging these drive-bys have the potential to draw groups of people outside of their homes, observers should stay on their own property and two metres away from any neighbour.

“Overall, Halton Region Public Health does not encourage these types of large events right now, as they may increase opportunities for transmission of disease and make it difficult for individuals to appropriately follow physical-distancing measures,” wrote Halton Region Public Health in a release.

“Virtual celebrations via videoconferencing could be encouraged instead.”

Residents of Burlington are reminded by public health officials to continue to self-quarantine as much as possible with only the exception of leaving their homes for essential needs, like purchasing groceries or to get exercise.