Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown says in-person gatherings to celebrate upcoming civic events, such as Halloween and Remembrance Day, will resume after being cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, Brown said outdoor gatherings for these events will happen as the city has been doing its part to reduce the spread of the virus.
“I want to let residents know that their sacrifice has made a difference. That we've made remarkable progress against COVID-19 and we're now in a position where I feel that the city can safely have outdoor events again and that's because of you. It's because of our residents who took this pandemic so seriously,” he said during his weekly COVID-19 press update.
This weekend, the city plans on hosting outdoor pumpkin carving and costume contents, and pumpkin smashing parties for Halloween.
Brown said children are also encouraged to safely go trick-or-treating in the city.
On Wednesday, Mississauga also announced that trick-or-treating is happening in the city this year.
Brampton’s stance on trick-or-treating echoes the advice released by the province earlier this month.
On Nov. 11, Brown said the city will hold an in-person Remembrance Day ceremony at City Hall with health and safety protocols in place.
The city is also planning to host its outdoor Winter Lights Festival on Nov. 19 to celebrate the holiday season.
“It's because of you [residents] that the positivity rate is so low, it’s because of you that our hospital capacity is so strong and it's because of you that we can now have those outdoor events again in a safe manner,” Brown said.
Brown argues that more civic events should resume across the city as most residents are getting vaccinated and doing their part to reduce spread of the virus.
“The fact that you know we said by getting vaccinated will help you get back to normal and we don't have some of these civic events on, ones that the city organizes, for me is not good enough.”
Brown also noted that if sports venues can have tens of thousands of spectators then cities should be able to hold in-person gatherings for civic events.
“If you can have 20,000 people indoors at a Maple Leafs game or a Raptors game, there's no reason we can't have these family-oriented civic events again,” Brown said.
Earlier this month, Premier Doug Ford announced the removal of capacity limits for some indoor and outdoor settings that require proof of vaccination, including sports arenas, concert venues and theatres.
Last week, Ford released the government’s plan to gradually lift all remaining capacity limits and restrictions, and to effectively exit Ontario’s roadmap to recovery as case counts continue to decline.
As of Monday, capacity limits were lifted in more settings where proof of vaccination is required, including gyms and restaurants.
Although Brampton has given the green light to some in-person events, the city’s Santa Claus parade is expected to be virtual once again.
Toronto announced last week that its Santa Claus parade would also be online for several reasons, including children under 12 years old not yet being eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine.
