SYDNEY, N.S. — Santa Claus can still parade through communities across the Cape Breton Regional Municipality as long as it’s during the daytime.
During a special meeting Monday, CBRM council voted 6-4 to uphold its ban on nighttime parades, as well as limit the length of parade routes to four kilometres.
Dist. 7 Coun. Amanda McDougall had brought forth the motion asking her council colleagues to reconsider the ban, which was recommended by CBRM staff, including the Cape Breton Regional Police.
McDougall said two communities in her district — Louisbourg and Glace Bay — hold popular nighttime parades and the outcry was immediate after she posted the outcome of Monday’s decision on social media.
“I’m really disappointed and I know there’s going to be many people disappointed as well,” she said, scrolling through her phone to read the reactions while still standing in council chambers.
“People are really upset, so my suggestion to the public, to those who are unhappy with the decision of council, continue to reach out to your councillors. They need to be held accountable for decisions. If you feel like your voice wasn’t heard, make sure they’re heard right now.”
However, McDougall said she was pleased another recommendation that could have seen the CBRM hold just two parades each year — the pride parade hosted by Pride Cape Breton in the summer and a regional Christmas parade in Sydney in the winter — didn’t receive a supporting motion and was dropped from consideration.
“We may have lost the nights but we retained the community ones,” she said.
The councillors who spoke out in favour of keeping the new parade rules, which were adopted during an October council meeting, cited safety.
Dist. 10 Coun. Darren Bruckschwaiger said he chose to rely on the professional opinions of staff, particularly police.
“God forbid if something happens, and I didn’t accept that recommendation from police, I’d have a hard time living with myself, Mr. Mayor,” said Bruckschwaiger.
Deputy Chief Robert Walsh and Sgt. Joe Farrell, who heads the Cape Breton Regional Police traffic unit, reiterated the police stance on nighttime parades.
“Simply put, nighttime parades are just not as safe as daytime parades,” said Walsh.
Dist. 2 Coun. Earlene MacMullin said there has never been a recorded accident involving the North Sydney nighttime parade and the CBRM is making an issue where one doesn’t necessarily exist.
She said the CBRM failed the democratic process by not reaching out to the public before deciding on the ban.
“Parades for the most part are community initiatives and we did not reach out to consult them,” she said, noting the Northside didn’t have a single community festival this past summer due to a lack of volunteers.
“For us to lose this community parade will be a detriment to our community. This is literally all we have left right now.”
Dist. 11 Coun. Kendra Coombes said the CBRM could have reached out to the public and parade organizers to enhance safety and limit risks during nighttime parades.
“I feel like we didn’t look at different alternatives in terms of providing education and safety resources to communities. The public were not consulted correctly throughout this process and unfortunately the result was that motion to reconsider the decision of council was defeated and we don’t get to have any further conversations on it,” said Coombes, who represents the New Waterford area.
Coombes and McDougall also expressed concern that Santa would be able to attend parades in eight different communities — Sydney, Glace Bay, North Sydney, New Waterford, Louisbourg, Sydney Mines, Dominion and Reserve Mines — in a relatively short amount of time.
“There’s only one Santa out there, and Santa has to get to a lot of communities, so timing is going to be difficult,” said McDougall. “I don’t even know if they’re going to be able to make sure each community still retains their parades.”
Added Coombes: “Santa is going to be very, very busy trying to figure out if Saturdays or Sundays, when he can come visit our communities. Again, our communities were worried that we could go to a regional parade — which regional means Sydney, of course — and they were concerned about that part, too. I think today they can be relieved that we are continuing the community parades. Unfortunately, they’re going to look a little different. I don’t think those Christmas lights are going to be out.”
RELATED:
Hard feelings over changes to Cape Breton Regional Municipality parade rules
