Amherstburg shining light on thieves striking River Lights Winter Festival

Officials with the Town of Amherstburg are asking for the public’s help after thefts at the River Lights Winter Festival.

Over the last couple of weeks several extension cords, tie straps, splitters, and other necessary items to keep the festival shining bright have gone missing from the locations where light displays are set up.

In a post to social media, the town called on residents to help by reporting anything suspicious to the town or police.

“If you notice any light displays that aren’t lit, this may be the cause,” the post said on Sunday. “Our dedicated Parks Team works tirelessly to keep up with the missing items and get everything back in order, but we need your help.”

“If you witness anything suspicious or have any information, please let us or the police know,” the post continued. “We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work to resolve this issue and work to keep the festive glow for everyone to enjoy.”

"River lights is one of our biggest festivals and our staff worked tirelessly to set up and make sure that the town is shining bright for everybody for the holiday season," said Director of Parks, Facilities, Recreation & Culture Heidi Baillargeon.

"Unfortunately, we've had more thefts than normal this year in terms of extension cords and straps, things missing in the parks," Baillargeon explained.

"It's been a little bit to disheartening, but our crews worked tirelessly around the clock to come in on weekends and evenings to make sure that when we know about displays, that they're plugged in."

She continued, "It's very frustrating, especially when you fix something and then it could be ten minutes later it's back out again."

Baillargeon told CTV News that municipal staff will do an inventory at the end of the season to determine exactly how many things have gone missing, noting that it's important to keep track of as the event grows in popularity for future operating budgets.

"We know that there's been a number of people come through to our River Lights display, which is great," Baillargeon said. "The town is attracting more and more people. More and more people are coming here and Amherstburg is the place to be, so that's really great."

She added, "We're doing our best. Our crews are out on the daily to try to make sure that we have everything in working order."

The River Lights Winter Festival runs Nov. 16 - Jan. 5, 2025 at King’s Navy Yard Park, along the Detroit River and Toddy Jones Park.