The Township of Oro-Medonte has been made aware the Ever After Music Festival that had been scheduled to take place at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds from August 11 to August 14 has been canceled by the event organizers.
The Festival was not being operated, produced, or affiliated with Burl’s Creek Event Grounds, or Republic Live.
The production and operation of the Festival was instead being managed by a third-party event organizer.
Since the establishment of the Township’s Special Event By-law in 2015, many large-scale events (i.e. over 10,000 attendees) have been held in the Township and at the Burl’s Creek Event Grounds.
The Special Event By-law, inclusive of review and approval sign-off by all agency partners involved with special events, ensures a consistent and coordinated approach for the security and safety of all event attendees, and to mitigate the potential adverse impacts of such events to the community.
Over the past several months, Township staff and agency partners (i.e., OPP, AGCO, County of Simcoe Paramedic Services, Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit etc.) have communicated with representatives from the Festival for the purpose of providing logistical assistance to facilitate the development of an acceptable operational plan that is required for the issuance of a Special Event Permit by the Township.
Given the incomplete status of the operational plan submitted by the organizers for the Festival, the ability to implement appropriate controls and public safety measures and requirements within an appropriate timeframe prior to commencement of the Festival, and potential adverse impacts to public health and safety and security of attendees, performers, vendors, and residents; the Township’s agency partners could not approve the operational plan for the Festival.
In accordance with its obligations under the Special Event By-law, the Township could not issue a permit to allow the Festival to proceed.
