Luxury car event organizer asks for council support

An upcoming event in Niagara-on-the-Lake is expected to draw “high net-worth guests and luxury car enthusiasts.” 

Alana Hurov, the founder of the event which will feature luxury cars on Queen Street in August, was at council Tuesday night with a couple of requests. She was hoping for council’s endorsement of the event, and also hoping to initiate a special events permit process. 

The Niagara 5000 is set to take place Aug. 9 from 1 to 5 p.m., and will feature McLarens, Porsches, and other vintage cars. 

But her main focus Tuesday was related to The Paddock Party, an affiliated private function at The Scotsman Hotel that will be enjoyed by 100 invited guests. 

The venue for the party is a short-term rental, which means it’s unable to host commercial events as per the town’s bylaw. 

But there is a loophole for events such as this at short-term rental properties, that they are permitted if it relates to a family wedding or has a charity component.

This was confirmed by Fire Chief Jay Plato later in the meeting. 

The event will donate a portion of the funds raised to Cassie and Friends, the only charity in Canada dedicated 100 per cent  to the paediatric rheumatic disease community, Hurov said in her presentation. 

This non-profit champions research, education and connection for children with Juvenile Arthritis, Lupus and other rheumatic diseases, she explained. 

The McLaren event brought out 3,000 people last year and this time, organizers are hoping for about 5,000 people, said Hurov, who also runs Hurov Creative Agency. 

The Scotsman, she said, is an “extremely unique venue” and the perfect place for the Paddock Party, which will also involve guests being dropped off, said Hurov, not creating more traffic or parking concerns. 

The one-time event will draw national media attention and include celebrity guests, such as former Muchmusic VJ Rick Campanelli, who is now a host on CHFI, she told councillors.

In the response to delegations portion of Tuesday’s council meeting, a motion was put on the table by Coun. Gary Burroughs to give organizers a licence to host the event.

Planning director Kirsten McCauley explained that The Scotsman Hotel is considered a “country inn” and that it holds a short-term rental licence. 

Plato then weighed in again and said an application for a special event permit is allowed because of the event’s charity component. 

Commercial events that do not support a charity are not permitted on short-term rental properties, he added. 

Council voted in favour of endorsing the event, which also gives it the ability to apply for a liquor licence, and begins the process of applying for a special event permit.