Tillsonburg Responds to Shrine Club BBQ Cancellation

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Wednesday, 13 September 2023 06:26

Memorial Arena ice pad on Tuesday September 12th. (Photo Credit: Town of Tillsonburg)

The Tillsonburg Shrine Club will not be hosting its 64th annual Pork Barbeque today because the ice pad has already been installed at Memorial Arena.

TILLSONBURG - The Town of Tillsonburg has released a statement following the cancellation of the Tillsonburg Shrine Club's 64th annual Pork Barbeque.

It was supposed to happen today, but the club has decided to not have it because they can't host it at Memorial Arena. The club was notified in late July that they couldn't use the arena floor because the town had decided to have the ice pad ready earlier than usual.

Director of Recreation, Culture, and Parks Julie Columbus says there's an increased demand for ice time.

"Usually the ice in Memorial is ready for use by October 1st. This year, user groups requested it to be installed earlier to allow for ice time by September 18th. Given that ice installation is a multi-day process that is affected by variations in weather, we were required to make a decision to commence the process earlier and would be unable to accommodate the Shrine Club’s event on the Memorial Pad. Substitute venues were explored and suggested as alternate options, unfortunately they were not found suitable by the Shrine Club."

CAO Kyle Pratt says the Shrine Club has had a positive impact on the community over the years, but the town must treat all user groups equally.

"The Tillsonburg Shrine Club has been a part of the social and philanthropic fabric of Tillsonburg for generations and is a valuable community partner. Our staff try to accommodate the needs of all user groups. Sometimes there are conflicting schedules and unfortunately this time staff was unable to find suitable alternatives that worked for the Shrine Club. I want to assure the residents of Tillsonburg that we’ll be reviewing our policies and processes to ensure this kind of situation never happens again."

Mayor Deb Gilvesy understands why people are disappointed about the cancellation and admits the situation could have been handled differently.

"I’ve heard from many, many people in the community regarding the cancellation of this long-standing event, and I share their concerns and disappointment. The barbeque is a cherished annual fundraising event in Tillsonburg that generates a great deal of money for a variety of community causes, including our local hospital. While I can appreciate the desire of Town staff to accommodate all user groups, I believe more dialogue was required in this instance. The barbeque is an event with more than 60 years of history."

A photo circulating on social media showed the Memorial Arena floor grey and bare on Monday. Columbus had this to say in response.

"Ice making in warm conditions requires a slower process. While it may have appeared that ice-making had not begun, that was certainly not the case."

The Town shared an updated photo yesterday, showing an ice-covered arena floor.