The ride is over.
Council decided, by recorded vote, to discontinue the tradition of giving minor sports teams who have won an all-Ontario championship a ride on a town fire truck at its regular meeting last Thursday.
St. Marys Fire Chief Dennis Brownlee brought the issue forward to the town, after a risk management representative for the town’s insurance agent suggested that it could be an issue if a rider was injured -- or worse.
Administration and finance chair Coun. Bill Osborne explained that the volunteer firefighters often discuss case liability at their meetings; in case a rider was injured, the fire department, chief or volunteer members could be held liable.
“I think they are becoming concerned,” Osborne told council, “and the insurers are becoming concerned”
Coun. Don Van Galen wondered if the insurance representative said if they wouldn’t insure the fire department if the town continued giving these victory rides.
Clerk Lizet Scott explained that, in her opinion, “Cowan (the town’s insurer) would never say it’s fine.”
But they did not say they wouldn’t insure the town if the rides continued, she added.
For Mayor Jamie Hahn, “it’d be a real shame and misfortune if the tradition (of the ride) was cancelled… it’s one of the charms that sets us apart from the big cities.”
He added that the fire department lay out the ground rules for the ride in advance. “And they make it crystal-clear – and it’s never been abused.”
Coun. Marg Luna, however, commented that “riding up top a fire truck through town is very risky – we should not put the town in a libelous situation.”
She added that “we’re going to be the grinches that take away Christmas, for sure, but I think we can celebrate in a different, safer way.”
Hahn replied that “there’s never been an issue” with the safety of the celebratory ride, but noted that the matter of liability did come up in 1998, when a motion was passed that the fire chief is to provide two fire fighters to be on board during victory rides.
Osborne suggested that the matter is “a very difficult balancing act — my concern is that this was not generated by council, but by the fire department, who sees it as a liability. If we go ahead with the rides, how do we convince the firefighters it’s OK (to do so)?”
Osborne also asked Hahn what he would do about the rides if the insurance company said they wouldn’t insure them.
“It sheds a different light on the situation,” Hahn said.
“But the risk is the same (regardless),” offered Osborne.
In a recorded vote requested by Coun. Luna, only Hahn and Van Galen voted in favour of continuing the rides.
“I guess times change every 12 years,” Van Galen commented after the vote.