Following a tragic car ramming incident that killed 11 at a festival in Vancouver, Toronto organizers are urging the city to financially support new safety measures. Kristyn Gelfand, producer of Do West Fest, advocates for funding hostile vehicle mitigation strategies, like concrete barriers. She notes that without city help, the festival might need to look for emergency funding. Current crowd barriers are ineffective against vehicles, as demonstrated by a recent incident. A meeting with city officials will address safety concerns and potential support ahead of a forthcoming Festival Safety Summit.
Gelfand stated, 'We already have a finite amount of funds that we're working with for 2025... It would definitely be an issue if we were told by the city today that we need to have those without having additional support from the city to provide it.'
Gelfand emphasized that crowd barrier fencing is ineffective against vehicles, mentioning an incident where 'an intoxicated driver broke through the fencing before the event started, injuring a pedestrian and hitting a hydro pole.'
The city plans to gather insights during a meeting with festival organizers to discuss potential risks and explore available city supports for event safety.
City spokesperson Imane Boussa mentioned that feedback from the meeting will contribute to a Festival Safety Summit aimed at further exploring safety measures and enhancements.
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