The annual tradition of Festivus, made famous by the TV sitcom Seinfeld, is observed every year on Dec. 23.
This year, one Ottawa city councillor is taking advantage of a recent provincial decision to mark the occasion.
“Ontario removed the speed cameras… but we have the poles for now! So we embraced it,” Beacon Hill-Cyrville Ward Coun. Tim Tierney posted on his social media channels.
In the Seinfeld episode that popularized Festivus, an unadorned aluminum pole plays a central role in the celebration in place of a tree. The character Frank Costanza, played by Jerry Stiller, says it requires no decoration, as he finds tinsel “distracting.” A plain metal pole has become a primary symbol for people who observe the holiday.
Earlier this year, the Ontario government passed legislation banning the use of automated speed enforcement cameras in municipalities. Prior to the legislation, Ottawa had 60 cameras. They were turned off on Nov. 14 and the cameras were removed, leaving a plain pole where they once stood.
Speaking on Newstalk 580 CFRA’s The Morning Rush with Bill Carroll, Tierney told guest host Andrew Pinsent he wanted to have a little fun with the empty poles.
“The Ford government left us with about 60 Festivus poles in the city, and we’re going to celebrate today,” he said. “Since we removed the heads off the poles, for now, and I thought let’s make use of it. Let’s make lemonade out of lemons.”
The decision to remove photo radar cameras was not supported in Ottawa. In October, councillors voted unanimously to request that municipalities be allowed to keep them in school zones, where the majority of Ottawa’s cameras were set up.
The cameras are meant to be replaced by large signs, but the city’s poles could not withstand the “feats of strength” (a Festivus tradition) required to support the larger bilingual signage. Tierney says getting the signage up is a “work in progress.”
“We’re strapping to the poles that we currently have existing for streetlights right now because they can sustain the weight. We’re working with the provincial government on trying to establish what will be secure enough for the other poles,” he said.
Last week, city staff told CTV News Ottawa that the city will use stronger poles and foundations at some sites, which requires more time and coordination during the installation process.
Airing of grievances
Another of the traditions of Festivus, as outlined in the Seinfeld episode that popularized it, is the “airing of grievances,” which involves gathering your family around and telling them all the ways they’ve disappointed you in the past year.
Tierney encouraged his social media followers to air their grievances in his replies. He said on CFRA he’s already hearing about grievances about unsafe driving.
“I’ve already been out on the roads with officers,” he said. “Thirty people got nailed for speeding and they’re not giving you a warning now, they’re just doing it… so the silver lining is, as much as we’re kind of having fun with the Festivus poles, there is benefit with this last city budget adding on such a complement of police officers, which I fully support. You’re going to see them in your community.”
On Dec. 15, the Ottawa Police Service launched its new “district-related traffic units”, focusing on speeding and other traffic violations. Police Chief Eric Stubbs said the police service has 34 budget-approved positions available in the Traffic Unit, but there are currently between 15 and 20 officers in the unit.
The 2026 City of Ottawa budget, which was approved earlier this month, includes funding to hire 25 new police officers, introduce a new district system for police response, and cover salary increases.
Tierney says the police are not playing around with speeding.
“This is going to be all over the city. We want to send a strong message, just like what we’ve seen with a lot of the RIDE programs,” he said. “This isn’t just us. This is a national issue. Since COVID, driving has become erratic. A lot of municipalities across the country are deciding to put the genie back in the bottle and get people to understand road rules and make it safer for people because there are too many tragic deaths on the roadways.”
