After more than two decades of excited, costumed ghosts and goblins paying a Halloween visit to Fire Station #1 on Princess Street West, in North Bay, this year there will be an eerie quiet around the firehouse.
"It's just not responsible for us to do it this year," says North Bay Fire Chief Jason Whiteley in confirming to BayToday the annual Halloween event for kids and families will not take place next month. "It's not in the best interest of the fire department, nor the community to host the event this year."
See: Premier Ford cautions against sending kids out at Halloween as COVID cases rise
In another event cancellation, the North Bay Santa Claus Parade has also been put on ice.
He adds the decision is disappointing for the kids and families who dress up and take part, as much as it is for the crews who put so much time into offering a fun, safe place to enjoy Halloween. In the end, Whiteley says, the decision by the administration was not made lightly but there truly was no other course of action to take.
"With the uncertainty of the pandemic — and of course you see numbers are starting to rise again — and the way people flow through the building, in tight lineups, with the open candy, and the volunteers from the schools," were all factors, says Whiteley.
The health and safety of hundreds of potential Halloween visitors is front of mind for the North Bay Fire and Emergency Services administration and the local Professional Firefighters Association, who jointly run the Halloween event.
Whiteley observes he also has a responsibility to "concentrate on the longevity of providing emergency services, especially if we have a second wave. My duty is to protect the firefighters, protect our response to the citizens, and to deliver service."
Whiteley says NBFES has done a good job so far of keeping COVID-19 out of the fire halls and cancelling the Halloween event is another preventative measure to keeping it that way.
He adds, "As Emergency Manager for the City of North Bay, that's my big worry. What happens if EMS or police or the fire service gets decimated by COVID-19 and we don't have staff? How do we continue to provide an adequate emergency response?"
Whiteley acknowledges there will be disappointment from community members but to pull it off during the pandemic would have been a logistical nightmare and says he hopes to see everyone back at Station #1 in 2021 on Halloween night.
