Ontario’s roadmap to re-opening announcement last week was a little confusing. Exactly what counts as an outdoor recreational activity? A go-kart track looks a lot like a golf course. Acres and acres of grass lands with quarter-sized motorized vehicles scurrying around. Yet when Daniel and his sister Michelle hopped the fence at Goodwood Kartways on Saturday (to drop some tools in their garage) they were the only people on the property. The place would normally be buzzing on a sunny weekend in May. Instead, totally desolate. It was almost spooky.
Compare to Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga where they were allowing motorheads on track for ‘recreational’ driving this weekend. No competition, no timing, no spectators. Just the opportunity for 30 people to take their sports cars out on the road course for some fun. On Monday, June 14th, race tracks will be allowed to re-open with capacity restrictions as part of Stage 1. Until then, recreational lapping seems to be OK
And without a way for people to satisfy their ‘need for speed’ this was the scene at a mall parking lot in Pickering. At least two-hundred people gathered for an impromptu cars show. Dudes were revving their engines passing through the crowd, and there was a Honda Civic doing donuts with the driver’s door open. Clearly, safety was a priority!
City officials were not impressed.
“C’mon folks. We know that lockdown has been difficult for all of us. However, let’s not be careless especially now that we can see light at the end of this long tunnel. We’re close to returning to some level of normalcy. Don’t do a disservice to the rest of our community”
Pickering Mayor, Dave Ryan
Despite hundreds of vehicles, and thousands of spectators in attendance, Durham Regional Police did not lay any charges for violating the Reopening Ontario Act.