ALBERT BRIDGE, N.S. — We want our nighttime parades back and we want them in our communities is what CBRM Dist. 8 Coun. Amanda McDougall is hearing from hundreds of residents, in her riding and outside of it.
During a community meeting the Cape Breton Regional Municipal councillor hosted on Oct. 24 at the Albert Bridge Fire Hall regarding council's new parade rules, McDougall received a petition signed by more than 800 people, more than 75 impact letters from community organizations and also heard from a number of residents who are afraid the changes will kill community traditions.
"They all want council to reconsider the ban on nighttime parades and to vote against having only two parades a year," said McDougall. "I had one woman get up and speak at the meeting who said going to the Louisbourg nighttime parade was her family's tradition ... (community members) were immediately heartbroken and saddened their community traditions were being (taken away)."
Since the meeting, McDougall's been getting calls and emails from constituents and people outside her riding. She is urging everyone to contact their councillor so they can start "a meaningful and constructive conversation with community members." McDougall said she's answered about 100 emails.
Katherine Snow, chair of the Port Morien Community Fair, was at the meeting because she believes the rules are "unfair" to small communities.
"We've lost so much in Port Morien over the past 10 years. We don't have a store in Port Morien. We don't have a school. The churches aren't as active as they used to be," said Snow who is worried their annual fall fair parade won't see a 74th year.
"What we have is our community spirit. I think it's not fair for (council) to tell us how we can celebrate our community ... It's unfair to us to be told how we can celebrate and show our community spirit."
Louisbourg parade committee chair Rose Steylen was also at the meeting to express her disappointment. Speaking of her hopes that council will rescind its decision to ban nighttime parades, Steylen also questioned which parades pose more risk — those with bigger crowds or smaller ones?
"The whole thing, they didn't seem to have put any thought into it. They just went with the recommendations," she said. "There was no consideration on input from the smaller communities."
McDougall said she thinks council should have consulted community organizations before voting on recommendations made in an issue paper about parade safety, which was requested after a 10-year-old boy was run over by a float during the Pride Parade in August.
"It's primarily volunteers leading our safe parades in our communities and they weren't consulted. That's disrespectful," she said.
"Some of these people have been organizing these parades for 30 years and they weren't consulted. How insulting is that? We (council) messed up."
McDougall plans to ask council to revisit the nighttime parade ban when they next meet on Nov. 4 and hopes more community input is considered when councillors vote on the recommendation to allow only two parades a year in the CBRM.
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