Brampton Mayor Pushing For Outdoor New Year’s Eve Celebrations

Santa Claus won’t be coming to town in person this year, with most Toronto-area communities opting for virtual parades and celebrations. But with the COVID-19 pandemic showing signs of easing, Brampton’s mayor is pushing for the return of outdoor celebrations, including a traditional New Year’s Eve gathering.

“We need to get these civic events back on,” said Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown.

“If you can have 20,000 people indoors at a Maple Leafs game or a Raptors game, there’s no reason we can’t have these family-oriented civic events again.”

Brown said he’s received many complaints that the city’s Santa Claus Parade will be held in a virtual format for a second consecutive year. He believes the time has come to reward those who have been following public health protocols throughout the pandemic.

“I think our residents have sacrificed long enough that we can have safe outdoor events.”

Brampton is moving ahead with plans for outdoor Halloween activities this weekend. That will be followed by in-person ceremonies on Remembrance Day, with specific protocols in place to protect vulnerable veterans.

Brown is now eyeing New Year’s Eve and the possibility of celebrating together as a city.

“We will work with Public Health to make sure that there are protocols in place to make sure it can be done in a safe manner,” noted Brown during his weekly press briefing. “But I do want to have a traditional outdoor celebration ringing in the New Year, a sign that we’re getting back to normal.”

Outdoor markets and lights festivals will be permitted in Brampton over the winter months, marking a significant turnaround for a city that was once one of Canada’s COVID-19 hotspots.

Just seven patients are currently in Brampton Civic Hospital due to COVID-19. Two additional patients who have been virally cleared remain in intensive care as part of their recovery process.

Nearly 84 per cent of Peel residents are now fully vaccinated against the virus. The region sits about 30,000 doses short of reaching its target of 90 per cent first-dose coverage by mid-November.

Peel’s top doctor says those who remain unvaccinated are currently being protected by public health measures such as masking and physical distancing, but that protection won’t last forever.

“At some point with the roadmap to exit, the guardrails are going to come off,” said Dr. Lawrence Loh, Medical Officer of Health for Peel Region.

“Society will move forward protected, and your risk of severe outcome and perhaps death will remain if you remain unvaccinated, even years from now as our interactions normalize.”