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PORT DOVER – Friday the 13th, the motorcycle rally has met expectations and is probably the largest in the 37-year history of the event.
"At this moment it is noon and our crowd estimate is 140,000" Const. Ed Sanchuk, spokesman for the Norfolk OPP
Previous rallies approached 120,000, but the authorities have never registered 140,000 before. And it is not at all clear that attendance peaked at the time of the interview
The evidence of a record or almost record attendance is evident on the Main Street and the two main side streets of Port Dover. Motorcycles are packed on both sides of Main and on both sides of St. George Street and St. Andrew Street.
This translates into approximately 15 kilometers of motorcycles side by side regardless of the side streets and other secondary routes of communication in the city.
"It's crazy," said Heather Shipman, a T-shirt salesman in downtown. "And busy, busy, busy.It's a zoo."
Such large crowds pose a challenge to the authorities of a county of 63,000.Port Dover itself has a population of 6.000, so a game plan is needed when it increases by 2.300%.
In partnership with the OPP of Norfolk, Norfolk Fire & Rescue and Norfolk EMS, the county set up a War Room Community Center St. George Street
The room is lined with video screens broadcasting aerial and street images of everything happening in the city and approaches
Hundreds of agents The Ontario Provincial Police oversee everything from road safety to the secret surveillance of outlaw motorcycle gangs.The event on Friday the 13th has a long history of calm and good fellowship, but the police are in force in case something goes wrong.
Friday afternoon, there were two ac One incident involved a motorcycle in Simcoe as two motorcycles hit Port Dover on Thursday night. Police report minor injuries in both cases.
"We have a significant police presence," said Sanchuk, adding that this involved helicopters and drones as part of surveillance efforts. "Until now, everyone is acting in a mature, safe and responsible way."
Norfolk paramedics also have a strengthened presence. Under normal circumstances, only one ambulance is stationed in town, but this Friday, there are three
Norfolk EMS knew that the conditions would be hot and humid, so the 40 waiting paramedics are looking for heatstroke and other conditions related to heat. They are looking for signs of dehydration and have installed cooling stations at strategic sites around the city.
Sarah Townsend, an ambulance attendant in Norfolk, said the paramedics were monitoring the signs of extreme intoxication and were on the alert. County due to high volume of motorcycle traffic
Longtime observers of the event cited several circumstances that pointed to a record participation rate for this weekend's rally.
There is also consideration that the next party will be held in 14 months in September 2019. This also promises to be huge given the long gap between the two.
Bike event without bike events, "laughed Andrew" Big Mark "Mitchell of Ohsweken." There is no rodeo or bike exchange. Just beer and t-shirts.
"I'm here for short shorts and bady women.It's a good waste of time."
Follow the day's events here, with reporters Simcoe Reformer in the field.
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