HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-003-12 Clarftwn REPORT
COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
Date: February 6, 2012 Resolution#: f ` f () - / By-law#: N/A
Report#: CSD-003-12 File#:
Subject: HEROES HIGHWAY RIDE & RALLY
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee
recommend to Council the following:
1. THAT Report CSD-003-12 be received for information.
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Submitted by: Reviewed by: i
' seph P. Caruana Franklin Wu,
irector, Community Chief Administrative Officer
Services
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CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON
40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L1C 3A6 T 905-623-3379
REPORT NO.: CSD-003-12 PAGE 2
1.0 BACKGROUND
1.1 At the Council meeting of September 19, 2011, Mr. Lou DeVuono, Founder and
Executive Director, Heroes Highway Ride & Rally, appeared as a delegation
regarding the possibility of returning the Heroes Highway Ride & Rally to
Clarington (Bowmanville) in 2012.
1.2 Resolution #C-407-11 was passed and requested "That information regarding
the 2012 Heroes Highway Ride and Rally be forwarded to staff for a report on the
cost of hosting the event and to liaise with the three Business Improvement
Areas with respect to the event".
2.0 COMMENTS
2.1 The Heroes Highway Ride was initiated in 2009 as a tribute to Canadian Forces,
past and present, and to raise funds to support the Wounded Warriors Charity.
2.2 The event was initially hosted in Whitby in 2009 and was a ride of 134
motorcycles from Trenton to Whitby. In 2010, the event moved to Bowmanville,
with a Rally component added. For the 2010 event, there were approximately
2,000 motorcycles that participated. This past June, the Heroes Highway Ride
& Rally was held in Oshawa, with an estimated participation of 3,000 riders.
Mr. DeVuono anticipates that the 2012 event will draw 5,000-6,000 motorcycles
with 7,500-9,000 riders.
2.3 Staff have had several meetings with Mr. DeVuono and representatives from the
Durham Region Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police to finalize the
details of this event and establish costs. Staff have also been in contact with the
three Business Improvement Areas and have received their endorsement for the
Heroes Highway Ride & Rally.
2.4 At a January 20, 2012, meeting, Mr. DeVuono informed us that the Heroes
Highway Ride & Rally had been requested to join with the Ride to Remember,
an American motorcycle ride originating in Washington, DC. The 2012 Ride to
Remember is going to Ottawa for an event on Parliament Hill and then
proceeding to Toronto via CFB Trenton.
2.5 The merger of the two motorcycle rides increases the potential riders to more
than 8,000. Mr. DeVuono and his organizing team feel the event has
outgrown the ability to be accommodated in Bowmanville without having a
negative impact on the community and the event. They have decided to
withdraw their request to host the Heroes Highway Ride & Rally in Bowmanville
in 2012 (Attachment 1) and will pursue an opportunity to host the rally at Polson
Pier in Toronto. This site offers the infrastructure and enhanced parking to
accommodate an event of this magnitude.
REPORT NO.: CSD-003-12 PAGE 3
2.6 Mr. DeVuono expressed his appreciation to the Mayor and Council, staff and
the community of Clarington for their support and assistance and offered an
invitation to Mayor Foster and Members of Council to join him at CFB
Trenton on June 2nd as VIP guests of the Highway of Heroes Ride & Rally.
3.0 CONCURRENCE - Not Applicable
CONFORMITY WITH STRATEGIC PLAN - Not Applicable
Staff Contact: Skip Crosby, Community Services Co-ordinator
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Letter from Mr. Lu DeVuono, withdrawing request for Heroes Highway
Ride & Rally
List of interested parties to be advised of Council's decision:
Lou DeVuono, Founder and Executive Director, Heroes Highway Ride & Rally
Edgar Lucas, Chairman, Bowmanville BIA
Theresa Vanhaverbeke, Treasurer, Newcastle BIA
Annette Gray, President, Downtown Orono BIA
Attachment 1 to Report CSD-003-12
From: Lou Devuono
Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 7:53 AM
To: Crosby, SI<ip
Subject: Re: Heroes Hwy Ride & Rally
Good morning Skip,
I'm sorry I could not get this to e-mail to you sooner, but I wanted to speak to all my co-directors
to get their feedback before responding.
We have come to the same conclusions that were becoming more and more evident during our
meeting on Friday with DRPS Constable Friend.
Due to the recent developments to the Heroes Highway Ride and our inclusion in the Ride 2
Remember 2012 taking place on Parliament Hill on May 31 st, we anticipate that the HHR will
see significant growth and with that growth we believe that we may stress the community to the
point that our presence may even have a negative impact on the community of Bowmanville.
The other issue that also will cause some issues with our riders is the fact that we would need to
park large numbers of our participants and their bikes at lots around the community and then
shuttle them into town. This alone would be a significant additional cost that we are not in a
position to absorb.
So, we would like to thank your Worship, Mayor Foster, Members of Council, staff and the
community of Clarington for their support and assistance but due to the issues outlined above,
we respectfully withdraw our request to bring the 2012 Heroes Highway Ride &Rally to
Clarington.
I would however, very much like to extend an invitation to your Worship, Mayor Foster and all
Members of Council to join us as VIP's at this year's event at CFB Trenton, along the Highway
of Heroes and our Rally as our guests.
Sincerely,
Lou DeVuono