The 2024 Vankleek Hill Fair Parade will go ahead as planned.
The parade is scheduled to begin at the Vankleek Hill Community Centre parking lot at 6 pm on Thursday, August 15 and arrive at the fairgrounds at 6:45 pm. It was not clear to Champlain Township staff and council, and to the Vankleek Hill Agricultural Society if Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers would be available to direct traffic where the parade is to cross Highway 34/High Street at Main Street because the township and the agricultural society do not have the legal authority to block traffic on a King’s Highway.
On Tuesday, August 13, Champlain Township Communication and Community Development Officer Zoé Fortin-Larocque confirmed that two, paid-duty OPP officers will be able to direct traffic at the intersection. Fortin-Larocque said staff and council members had been working hard all week to find a solution.
At the Thursday, August 7 Committee of the Whole meeting of Champlain Township Council, there was a lengthy discussion about possible alternative solutions.
Mayor Normand Riopel first suggested a solution by asking for council to allow firefighters to be present near the intersection of Main Street/County Road 10 and Highway 34/High Street to stop the parade when the traffic light is red on Main Street/County Road 10 so traffic on Highway 34/High Street may proceed when the light is green on that road. Riopel said the approach would not involve blocking a provincial highway. Main Street/County Road 10 are under the jurisdiction of the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, and Champlain Township.
Councillor Paul Burroughs presumed on-shift police officers had initially been requested. He wondered if the agricultural society had requested off-duty, paid officers.
Riopel said he understood the OPP was no longer assisting with parades in general.
Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Tessier explained the previous issues with the OPP and traffic control in 2022 which led to the demise of the Horse and Buggy Parade in Vankleek Hill because of the requirements under the Highway Traffic Act. Tessier also warned that traffic control for a parade is likely outside the jurisdiction of the fire department.
“The firefighters probably do not have the authority or capacity to control traffic on a provincial highway,” Tessier said.
Riopel said the firefighters would not be blocking Highway 34. Tessier responded by noting traffic attempting to turn from Highway 34/High Street onto Main Street/County Road 10 would be affected.
Burroughs agreed with Tessier.
Riopel spoke of the importance of the fair and the parade to the community.
Councillor André Roy said if there is one accident or a person refuses to yield to the parade, there is a significant risk to the township.
“I’m not too impressed with the OPP,” Councillor Paul Emile Duval said.
“There are a lot of parades going on (in other communities) and they have the OPP present,” he added.
Duval questioned why the township pays for police services and two officers cannot be made available for a parade.
Riopel said he will contact the detachment and see if anything can be done.
Duval said he hopes the parade goes ahead, but did not want to support using firefighters for traffic control because there is a considerable liability to the fire department and township if something went wrong. He hoped assistance from the OPP could be obtained.
Councillor Sarah Bigelow supported using firefighters to assist with traffic control.
“This has been a long-standing tradition,” she commented about the fair parade.
Burroughs also said he would vote against the motion.
“I really cannot support such a motion because it’s illegal,” he said.
The motion was defeated. Bigelow was the only councillor to vote in favour of the motion.
