The committee organizing the 2019 Canada Day Parade in Drumheller is on track and ready to invite thousands to enjoy this year’s parade.
The volunteer group was struck to continue the tradition of handing out parade candy and other handouts to parade goers and to make sure attendees can enjoy all the fun offered at this Canada Day tradition.
This year the parade theme honours the centennial of the Drumheller Fire Department.
The committee is focused on instilling new, easy to follow, safety protocols, based on best practices from other parades, they hope will remain for years to come. The $750 insurance policy for this year’s parade has been donated by Western Financial Group.
The first concern is to keep parade attendees, young and old, from entering the roadway where vehicles or floats are travelling.
“If you have seen a parade, you have likely watched a child dart out into the road,” said committee member Tom Zariski.
This committee will have clearly identifiable Parade Deputies along the route with safety vests and stop signs (donated by Canalta Group of Companies) who will stop the entire parade temporarily if a spectator ends up on the roadway. Children must be sitting or standing on the curb for the parade to continue past.
Its second concern is for people riding on floats.
“Riding on the back of a flat deck truck or in the box of a pickup truck is dangerous, especially the higher you are above the ground,” said committee member Bob Sheddy.
If the float participant’s head is at or higher than 8 ft above the ground they must be wearing a helmet or be protected with an acceptable guardrail.
Another great concern is driver distraction or vehicle blind spots.
“There will be rules pertaining to the need for walking spotters and the need for in-vehicle spotters depending on the vehicle and the blind spots on the vehicles (i.e.: semi trucks, farm vehicles, etc.),” said committee member John Shoff.
In addition, all drivers and spotters need a valid license and all vehicles need to be street legal and insured for use on the roadway.
These rules and other rules will be clarified and posted on drumhellerparade.org.
For more information you can contact committee members.
