Final plans are being made for this summer’s Tiverton Old Boys and Girls Reunion.
Organizers have overcome some major hurdles to prepare for the July 31st to August 3rd event.
Councillor Randy Roppel, who works with the reunion committee says they’ve been approved for a special occasion liquor licence after signing off on four recommendations from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
One of the recommendations is that beer be served only when poured from cans into plastic cups, something the committee did not plan to do originally.
Roppel says the municipal plan was to make the cups available only for anyone who wanted to use them, but the provincial regulations require them, and those are the rules that have to be followed.
The Tiverton reunion was the subject of great controversy in May when a fierce debate was waged over what brand of beer to serve at the event.
The choice was made to serve Labatt’s, instead of locally-based Steelback. One of the reasons was that Labatt’s sells beer in cans.
The tense debate led to the resignation of some committee members and the possibility of the reunion going ahead was uncertain, but Roppel says that isn’t the case now.
Roppel says there are no hard feelings and the committee members are young, ambitious, and very creative.
He says they have three goals for the event; that people come, that they enjoy themselves, and that it’s a memorable occasion.
Roppel says private security has been arranged for the reunion, along with help from the OPP.
A parade is also being organized with a contest for the best family float, along with another competition for citizens who have contributed to community life according to the decade they were born in.
More details about the Tiverton Old Boys and Girls Reunion are on its website, www.tivertonreunion.ca