Follow up Statement - Line Spike Frontenac Event

In follow up to the Township issued statement on June 28, 2025, the Township would like to provide some further information regarding the Line Spike Frontenac event hosted on June 28 and 29, 2025:

• In March 2025, the Township was contacted about the Line Spike Frontenac Event with a plan to host a two-day event on private property with an estimated attendance of 50,000 people over two days. An event of this size is very large for the Township with significant impacts to the community. A process is required to ensure public safety for attendees and residents, limit impact to residents, and reduce strain on municipal infrastructure.
• Although the event was to be hosted on private property a municipally significant event designation was required from Council to support an Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario permit for a publicly advertised event. The process that is used for private and public events on municipal property was followed, but due to the size and scale of the proposed event a special event advisory group was organized to review the request.
• Between March and May 2025, the Township initiated discussions and document exchanges between the event organizer and the special event advisory group which was made up of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Frontenac Paramedic Services (FPS), Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority (CRCA), Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), South East Health Unit, Economic Development of County of Frontenac, and various Township Departments to discuss the event, resource needs and impact to existing infrastructure and resources.
• A list of requirements was requested in order to support the municipally significant event designation including building permits, bylaw requirements, engagement with emergency services, parking plan, proof of insurance, and traffic plan.
• The May 22, 2025 emergency and site plans submitted by the event organizer listed an attendance of 10,000 people per day along with two designated liquor areas with a total capacity 4,000 people and included various commitments including having St John’s Ambulance, Pulsar UV, Frontenac Paramedics, South Frontenac Fire & Rescue on site, as well as hiring paid duty OPP officers.
• At the June 10 meeting of Council, the Municipally Significant Event Designation was approved based on the commitments provided in the May 22, 2025 plans, which were reviewed and approved May 26, as well as the proof of insurance received on May 30.
• On the morning of Tuesday, June 24, 2025, the Township learned that the event organizer was cancelling contracts and commitments with Frontenac Paramedic Services and South Frontenac Fire & Rescue. This led to St John’s ambulance withdrawing their services for the event.
• Discussions were held with the event organizer between Tuesday June 24 and Wednesday June 25th, 2025 to try to make alternate arrangements but were unsuccessful. Shortly after 11:30am on Wednesday June 25, 2025, the Township advised the event organizer that it would be revoking its Municipally Significant Event Designation due to agreed commitments no longer being met. An emergency Council meeting was held at 5:00 pm with a resolution of Council to revoke the designation.
• The emergency services requirements in support of the municipally significant event designation were established between the special event advisory group and event organizer and based on the provided attendance numbers of 10,000 people per day. The requirements were to ensure public safety and at no point did the Township state the event was unsafe.
• On Thursday, June 26, 2025, the event organizer was verbally advised by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) that their license would no longer be valid.

Every effort was made by the Township and the special event advisory group to take a collaborative approach in planning for this event, relying on commitments and information provided by the event organizer. All decisions were made with the well-being of the entire community in mind.