“Not everything is always going to go off without a hitch. Overall, as a community we should make the best of these situations, not dwell on them,’ says mayor
With hundreds gathered in the Orillia Recreation Centre to enjoy New Year’s Eve festivities, local residents bore witness to the second holiday mishap in as many months during a balloon drop gone awry.
Reminiscent of November’s Christmas tree-lighting fiasco that made its way onto The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, a plan to drop 2,000 biodegradable balloons on attendees backfired when — instead of dispersing through the crowd — the balloons lowered as a solid, albeit colourful mass.
Suspended from the ceiling in three separate bags, the remaining two were lowered after failed attempts to open them; frustrated children began grabbing the balloons themselves before they were finally set free.
“The New Year’s Eve Bash has been organized and run by city recreation staff since 2011 as a way to provide a free family-friendly event for the community and has grown in popularity each year,” Mayor Don McIsaac said in a statement.
“This New Year’s Eve, there was a technical issue with the string release leading to the balloons not dropping right away. It was still a great, free, community event and the city has received positive feedback from attendees,” he added.
While the event was enjoyed by many — and featured games, snacks, a free swim, and more — in the days since Village Media‘s coverage of the event, some commenters expressed concern, perhaps in jest, that the city’s July 1 fireworks should be cancelled for “safety’s sake.”
McIsaac, who was at a different engagement New Year’s Eve, pointed out the Christmas tree lighting was not organized by city staff. The BIA organized the event.
“To clarify, the tree-lighting event and Canada Day are not run by the City of Orillia. These events are run by community members, volunteers and hard-working staff members to provide opportunities for others,” the mayor said.
McIsaac also argued that these sorts of mishaps should not mar what are otherwise fun community events.
“Things happen and not everything is always going to go off without a hitch,” he said. “Overall, as a community we should make the best of these situations, not dwell on them.”
