Officials in Grand Bend will ramp up police presence and traffic measures as an unsanctioned auto show that was banned in Wasaga Beach last year, and is being hosted this week in the small town on the shores of Lake Huron in southwestern Ontario. 

The town’s mayor and concerned car enthusiasts say the H2Oi car show — such events are also referred to as rallies — has previously caused safety issues and disruptions in other cities, and can quickly become rowdy. 

“It can block intersections and get crowded, which really interferes with the day-to-day life of the average citizen,” said Drew Falcon, who lives in Kitchener but runs an auto-sport business out of the Grand Bend Motorplex.

“I don’t want it to be that people can’t have fun, but I just want to encourage people who attend that event to just be smart about it, and be safe and responsible. Organizers say they want it to be peaceful, but a lot of times those who attend it can get out of hand.”

The event, set for Friday and Saturday, gets its name from a similar American event that started in Ocean City, Md.

The local event previously took place Wasaga Beach, which was granted an Ontario Superior Court injunction last August to prevent it from coming to town, following years of summer rallies that led to charges and disturbances. 

The Grand Bend show’s organizers said they are not affiliated with previous H2Oi accounts, safety is their top priority and they welcome an increased police presence. 

“All we want is a good car show for everyone to enjoy. We don’t want residents to have any concerns. We would love for them to come out and see what makes all of us passionate about our cars,” a member of H2Oi.ca.24 told CBC News on Instagram after declining an interview. 

“It’s already been posted that any illegal activity, we will directly report them to the police. It is good there will be police presence, but it goes both ways. We need to be given the chance to prove that we can have a safe enjoyable car meet. We don’t need to be heckled over little things like if vehicles are lowered an inch,” said the organizer, who refused to give a name. 

When asked why the group kept the H2Oi name, despite not having any connection to past rallies, the person said it was “strictly to get the attention of people to come to it,” since the group saw no events posted for this year and it would probably change the name once it gains a large enough following. 

‘It’s a safety issue,’ mayor says of event

The Municipality of Lambton Shores will have temporary road closures, detours and temporary speed bumps along Grand Bend’s main street to manage traffic flow, said Mayor Doug Cook. 

“It’s a safety issue,” he said. “We’ve been known as a safe community all along and we work well with our OPP officers to make sure of that, and this doesn’t bring a good reflection on our community if we allow these events to happen in our area.” 

Cook said the municipality has kept an eye on the event since it was alerted to it on social media a few weeks ago, but has not been in contact with organizers.

The organizer said while it’s uncertain how many people will be attending, there’s planning for a maximum of 200 cars, adding it would be helpful if the municipality allows for a a designated spot for the event that can be monitored. 

However, Falcon described Grand Bend’s town centre as “very congested.”

“It’s such a confined space and the roads aren’t very wide, so it would be chaotic to have hundreds of car enthusiasts doing burnouts — pretty much a giant traffic jam,” he said.

Wasaga Beach sought an injunction after grappling with illegal car rallies since the COVID-19 pandemic’s onset in 2020. Some rallies resulted in windows of provincial police vehicles being smashed, and some attendees being charged with stunt driving and vandalism.

The court’s ruling for the 2023 injunction for Wasaga Beach outlined that promoting or attending the car rally would amount to a bylaw violation and breach a court order. Regional Senior Justice Edwards said the rally is not characterized as a “lawful protest” or protected by Charter rights around peaceful assembly or freedom of expression.

Although Cook and his staff aren’t considering seeking an injunction at this time, he’s got strong words for those planning to attend this weekend’s rally. 

“Don’t show up — that’s the message. You’re not welcome in Grand Bend if that’s what you’re going to be doing,” he said. “We’re a very welcoming community, but that’s not what we’re looking for.”