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THE MUNICIPALITY OF LAMBTON SHORES

D.C.S. Report No. 35-2010 Monday, June 2, 2010

TO: Mayor Gord Minielly and Members of Council

FROM Peggy Van Mierlo-West Director of Community Services

RE: 2010 Summer Events on Grand Bend Beach

RECOMMENDATION:

For Council review and direction.

REPORT

Each year, the Community Services Department receives several requests fromorganizations wishing to host an event on the Grand Bend Beach. Requests range fromcommunity events, sporting functions and concerts. In the past, the events which haveconsistently occurred on the beach include: Grand Bend Optimist Burgerfest, CanadaDay celebrations and fireworks, Not So Pro Beach Volleyball Tournament, andAquafest hosted by the Grand Bend Environmental Committee.

The Grand Bend Beach is a prime location for event organizers due to its proximity tothe water and the high traffic tourist area. The recent enhancements to Grand Bendincluding the beach enhancement and the Main Street reconstruction have made GrandBend even more attractive to event planners.

Special events are a great indication of community spirit, and provide a source ofentertainment to residents and visitors. Special events can help to draw people to themunicipality during times of economic downturn or during summer shoulder months.However, it is important to address quality of life for residents with respect to impacts ofspecial events such as increased traffic, parking congestion, and noise. TheCommunity Services Department will be seeking Council direction on the futureprovision of all special events that currently take place on Grand Bend Beach.

Grand Bend Optimist Burgerfest

The Grand Bend Optimist Club hosts Burgerfest the third weekend in June each year.Burgerfest is a family event that includes activities such as the Best Burger Contest,Mr./Ms. Burgerfest, Bed race Challenge, karaoke and live entertainment.

Burgerfest is held in the North Beach parking lot. This location provides good visibilityfor the event and has been ideal in terms of set up for the food and beverage tent.Burgerfest operates on Friday from 4:00pm 11:30pm, Saturday from 11:30am

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11:30pm, and Sunday from 12:00pm 7:00pm. The event requires amplified sound and is operated under a license by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

All proceeds from Burgerfest go to the Grand Bend Optimist Club, and are distributedtowards community projects. The beach rental fees for Burgerfest are waived through

the Community Grant Program, and in the past, the Optimist Club has received financialassistance to help offset the cost of advertising. Approximately 450 500 people attendthis event each year.

Canada Day Celebrations

The Canada Day celebrations occur on July 1 st of each year on the Main Beach. Theday involves live entertainment, which requires amplified sound, and family activitiesbeginning at approximately 4:00 pm concluding in a fireworks demonstration at dusk.This event attracts thousands of visitors to the beach. Freewill donations are acceptedto help offset the cost of purchasing the fireworks.

Through the Lambton Shores Community Grant Program, the rental fees for the use ofthe beach are waived and the committee also received a $1, 500.00 financial grant forthe event. Canada Day celebrations operate as a break -even event, and anyproceeds made go towards the next years event.

Aquafest

Aquafest is a newer festival celebrating water and raising awareness around waterissues. This event is orchestrated by the Grand Bend Environmental Committee, whichis a sub-committee of the Grand Bend Community Foundation. In 2010, Aquafest willbe a three day festival from August 6 - 8 that will take place on Grand Bend Beach(Saturday and Sunday only), River Road and the Pinery Provincial Park.

The festival includes public speakers, a film presentation, musical entertainment,educational activities, an exhibitors fair, demonstrations, canoe rides and face painting.Admission is free for anyone wishing to attend.

In 2009 Aquafest set up included one tent which was located within the North Beach lot.For 2010, the Committee is requesting the placement of the tent in a more visiblelocation to the north of the Beach House and south of the condos.

The Environmental Committee is responsible for the set up and take down of the tent onthe beach. Beach rental fees for this event are waived because of an application fromthe Environmental Committee for the Community Grant Program. During its first year,Aquafest saw 1000 people attending the event. Unfortunately Aquafest did experiencethe cool, wet weather however they are optimistic with the enhanced programattendance will improve and Aquafest will become a premier event promoting the asustainable, healthy environment.

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Not So Pro Beach Volleyball Tournament

Not So Pro has been operating an annual beach volleyball tournament in Grand Bendsince 2002. Not So Pro has submitted an application to host the tournament in GrandBend from July 24 25, 2010. In the past, the Not So Pro Beach Volleyball

Tournament has brought nearly 100 volleyball teams of between four to six players toGrand Bend. In 2009, 600 people participated in the tournament. Hours of operationinclude: Saturday from 9:00am 6:00pm, and Sunday from 9:00am 5:30pm.Amplified sound is required for the tournament for announcements and music.

The tournament involves an extensive set up on the North Beach including: a food andbeverage tent, twenty temporary volleyball courts, snow fence for the licensed area, anda sponsorship area. The tournament is for ages 19 and up, and is licensed under acaterers endorsement from a local restaurant. In addition to providing beverages, therestaurant also provides food service for the weekend.

In the past, tournament participants have been required to use the beach housewashrooms. However, due to the proximity of the tournament to the beach house, thismay no longer be a viable option. Staff are recommending that the promoter obtaintemporary washroom facilities for program participants throughout the duration of thetournament.

Historically, a portion of Not So Pros tournament fees have been donated to theOptimist Club of Grand Bend. Over the past three years, this donation has amounted toapproximately $13 500.00.

Not So Pro is charged the regular beach rental rate of $212.20 per day, plus the costof hydro at $106.10 for the initial hook up and $31.85 per day afterwards. Not So Pro is solely responsible for all set up and take down associated with the event. Staffsprovide assistance through extra garbage pickup, which is consistent with other eventstaking operating on the beach.

Special events can be beneficial to a community by bringing visitors who may not haveotherwise travelled to Lambton Shores. Events have the potential for economic benefitsto local businesses such as food establishments and accommodations and can help toimprove community spirit by including a range of groups and volunteers. Special eventscan also act as fundraisers for a community organization, such as Burgerfest for theOptimist Club of Grand Bend. The funds raised from such activities are generallyreturned to the community either by community projects or programs in which all walksof life can benefit from.

However, with these mentioned benefits there are potential negative impacts that arerealized as a result of these events on the beach. Quality of life of residents is of utmostimportance. Two of the events noted above are licensed by the Alcohol and GamingCommission of Ontario, all of the events require amplified noise, and events can alsoput a strain on already limited resources such as parking and washroom facilities.

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The Aquafest, Burgerfest and the Canada Day Celebrations have all been approved bycouncil via the approval of their Community Grant applications. The Not-So-Pro Volleyball Tournament still requires councils approval to operate. Not-So-Pro eventhas had mixed reviews by residents and businesses. Businesses have stated that this

event is key to their profitability within the short summer business timeframe. Howeverresidents have experienced with this event; increased garbage being strewn onto theiryards, inappropriate messages being amplified over the sounds system etc. There is afine balance between economic development and maintain the happiness of residents.

Summary

It is recommended that staff be authorized to proceed with assisting the groupsorganizing Burgerfest Canada Day and Aquafest as outlined in the report and thatStaff introduce measures to reduce the impact and hours of operation of soundsystems.

It is further recommended that the Not So Pro Tournament be advised that due to theMunicipalities Recreation & Leisure Master Plan study now underway, that approval torun any tournament in 2010 be denied until such time as an overall strategy and policiesrelated to the use of the Grand Bend Beach have been developed.

Respectfully submitted

Peggy Van Mierlo-WestDirector of Community Services