This year's LaSalle Strawberry Festival is on the move.
Council on Thursday voted unanimously to move the annual festival to the Vollmer Complex due to flooding and safety concerns and the saturated land at Gil Maure Park.
“This isn’t a permanent move,” says deputy mayor Crystal Meloche. “It is a safety issue and safety is always our number one concern in the Town of LaSalle."
Council heard the high water level of the Detroit River and the ground saturation from recent rains has affected Gil Maure Park and the parking lots, boat launch, properties along Front Road and areas at the end of Laurier Drive. The record high lake levels in the area in combination with east winds cause the catch-basins to overflow and water to pool in the parking lots.
Staff said the overland flooding and puddling of water in the parking lots and in the parkland will negatively affect the set-up and operation of the Strawberry Festival at Gil Maure Park.
"We have received solid information from the emergency planning side, and we can expect high water levels to continue into July. If there is a flooding event that weekend, the high water levels are not likely to improve over the duration of the festival," said LaSalle Fire Chief Dave Sutton.
Council says staff will now work on the logistics of the move to the Vollmer Complex -- including the electrical options, water for vendors, portable toilet locations, off-site parking, shuttles and LaSalle Transit routes as well as signage and the location of the fireworks.
Councillor Sue Desjarlais notes there are still 'many logistical problems' to tackle.
“Moving the carnival, moving the vendors, where are we going to park people,” says Desjarlais. “Things about the gates because we’re used to having just one gate now we're going to have three.”
Council has agreed to spend about $45,000 to add fencing, utilities and additional security to the back lot of the Vollmer Complex.
Desjarlais tells CTV Windsor the town will do everything it can to ensure a safety and family friendly festival.
“The good thing is we have access to the Vollmer Complex,” says Desjarlais. “If we have any issue, we can go in there and use it.”
More than 20,000 are expected to attend over the four-day festival.
The 32nd Strawberry Festival will be held June 6 to June 9 this year, and the town plans to return the event to the waterfront again in 2020.
