City officials, police and Toronto festival organizers will be meeting to talk about security issues, a planned meeting ahead of festival season, but the agenda has changed in light of the Vancouver attack that killed 11 people.
It comes as Toronto’s Filipino community gathered to mourn the loss of those killed when the driver of an SUV plowed through crowds at the Lapu Lapu Day festival on Saturday night.
Thirty-two people were also injured in the attack. A 30-year-old man is facing several charges including first-degree murder.
It has left those in Toronto thinking about public safety ahead of the festival season. Events like Pride are more concerned with security than ever.
“You worry about copycats. There are so many copycats out there,” said Kojo Modeste with Pride Toronto. “Now we have to extra vigilant, 100 per cent, it will shift the way we do business and every year, it’s getting worse.”
“Hostile vehicle mitigation” as it’s known, is where concrete blocks or buses are used as barricades, is not required for every festival and to get a permit to close a street for an event, organizers must work with Toronto police to conduct a threat assessment, and that determines the level of security required.
In light of the Vancouver attack, a scheduled meeting between the city and Toronto festival organizers has now changed focus.
“We want to hear from event organizers, in light of what happened in Vancouver … the risk assessment, what they’re thinking, the sustainability of their festivals,” said Pat Tobin, General Manager, Economic Development and Culture.
Sustainability is also a key issue with security and insurance costs escalating. The City has reported liability costs for festivals are up at least 30 per cent which has caused some festivals like Taste of the Danforth to cancel or scale back.
“What we’ve got to do is get the federal and provincial government to partner up on security part of it to ensure it’s not a cost borne by these non-profit groups that put on these festivals,” said Councillor Mike Colle.
City Hall has recently increased funding to Toronto festivals by $2.5 million to help with things like security costs, but the Vancouver attack may significantly change what is designated as a high-risk event that requires vehicle barricades.
After meeting with festival organizers this week, the city will hold a Festival Safety Summit at the end of May to talk about what else can be done to protect people.
