Councillor Rick English, centre, spoke in support of the WMF at the June 16 council meeting. Screen image

Requirements Met by Organizers

Supporters Rally to the Defence of the WMF After Complaints

Article by John Campbell

Warkworth - Tues., June 21, 2022 - Get Ready to Rock, Warkworth!

Trent Hills council granted without comment last week a request by the organizers of the Warkworth Music Fest to hold their event at the fairgrounds next month.

Not that it was ever in doubt – the festival has been held four times before – but there was a bit of a hiccup when the municipality received an email in March from “Some Warkworth Village Residents” — no names were provided – who complained of loud music and other disruptions.

Council responded by saying the neighbours’ submission would be “considered in conjunction” with the organizers’ application for a exhibition licence, which CAO Lynn Phillips said would come to council for approval only after staff were “satisfied” all the requirements had been met.

Those conditions were set out in a resolution adopted by council June 16. They include not allowing amplified music to be played past 11 p.m. (and for all noise to cease at 1 a.m.), banning fires and fireworks, and prohibiting event parking on side streets as stipulated by staff.

The 1980s-themed music concert (July 21-24) will feature 11 amateur and professional cover bands. Dry camping will be offered for attendees at an extra cost and there will be vendors on site. As many as 900 people are expected to attend.

When the concerns of the unidentified residents became public two months ago, several people quickly rose to the defence of the festival on Facebook.

One wrote its noise was at “a very tolerable level” and stated there was no basis for the complaints cited in the article, which included “safety concerns (arising from) a potentially large amount of alcohol and drug use in an unsecured location.”

“WMF has been generous and donates thousands back to the community, and community run programs, especially for children in the area.”

“Without the music fest many of our sports programs and other community activities would suffer,” wrote another.

John Semlitch, who handles logistics for the music fest, railed against the article for being one-sided, saying the email sent to council contained “multiple flat out lies” as well as “complete stretches of the truth.”

In a open letter sent to council, Ron Nelson wrote he and his wife had lived next to the Warkworth Fairgrounds for 37 years and “endured” fairs, tractor pulls, rodeos, ball games and loud music at dances held in the arena, and they had “put up” with large crowds at other events, including the lilac and maple syrup festivals, and while “we didn’t enjoy some of these disruptions in our surroundings we also never complained to Percy Township or Trent Hills. Having been involved in some of these events we appreciate the hard work and dedication of the organizations and their volunteers who many times give of their own time and money not for profit of themselves but for the betterment of their community.”

Nelson and his wife had helped with security at the music festival for two years and although they found the music was loud, it was “not excessive” and there was no evidence of drug or alcohol abuse, reckless driving, and vermin-infested garbage piles, as had been alleged by the anonymous complainants.

He suggested they talk to organizers of the music fest. “They are great people and have already addressed issues and concerns in recent years to the best of their ability,” he said.

Councillor Rick English, who wasn’t in attendance when the email first came to council’s attention, echoed Nelson’s comments at the April 26 meeting.

“There was a lot of things (in the email) that I didn’t really see (were) warranted,” he said.
Having attended the festival last year, he said the concerns that had been raised were baseless. There was “absolutely no garbage” or rats on the ball field, “and there’s always lots of security.”

English further noted the organizers are “more than willing to help out anybody that has a complaint about it,” and he expressed confidence that any problems identified would be “rectified” as part of the approval process.

That would appear to be case, with council now having issued the requested exhibition licence, but any residents living near the fairgrounds who still have questions were sent a note from festival organizer Jake Whalen that includes a phone number where he can be reached during the event if needed.

To learn more about the festival, visit warkworthmusicfest.ca

Image from WMF Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/warkworthmusicfest/