Virgil Stampede wrap-up meeting included good news for the community

When members of the Virgil Business Association held their traditional meeting recently for the Virgil Stampede wrap-up, they were not surprised to know it was another record year both financially and at the gate.

“Overall we had really good news,” said VBA president Richard Wall.

The event has left the association in a good position to help fund a major project for the community, he said, although at this time no decision has been made on what that might be.

Wall has his own idea of a project he would like to see some to fruition, and that the VBA discussed and supported leading up to the stampede, but there is a lot that needs to happen before moving forward, and there might be other suggestions from the town and the community, he told The Local.

The project the VBA has discussed involves an enhancement of the concession stand and expansion of the pavilion in the Virgil sports park. The two buildings would become one, and turned into a three-season centre to be used for community events, for family or private events, and perhaps by minor soccer and baseball clubs to host more tournaments, he said. Another possibility he put forward is a farmers’ market.

The concession stand was built in the early 1980s, said Wall, and other than a few minor repairs and the purchase of appliance replacements, nothing has been done to update it. “It’s really just the same building it was when it was built 40 years ago."

The pavilion could be put to much better use if it is protected from the weather, possibly with roll-up doors, he said.

Wall explained he personally likes the idea of the VBA spending money on  something in the Virgil sports park, “where we began,” from the early days when they started arranging a fireworks display on the May long weekend, and the always-growing number of activities that have followed.

The VBA has supported financially many of projects in that space and others, beginning with the Centennial Arena in 1967, spending more than $100,000 on the concession stand and equipment when it was built, and including since then supporting a second arena, the purchase of the property that was formerly a peach orchard to enlarge the sports park, and the amenities that have been added since — the splash pad and pavilion beside it, playground equipment, a walking path with exercise equipment, and the skateboard park.

Their major project has always been in partnership with the town, Wall said, and at this point the pavilion expansion is just in the discussion stage. “It has not been approved by the town, there is no budget of what it might cost, and something else might come up,” he said.

The town is planning to begin public engagement sessions and a survey this summer to help shape the future of community spaces and develop a recreation master plan, and the timing seems right to see if the sports park project is of interest, or if there are other suggestions from the community of what they would like to see, Wall said.

He will be waiting with interest to see what kinds of suggestions might come from the community, and whether there will be support for the sports park enhancement.

“We’re behind it as a group, but residents might say something different. There could be something else that makes more sense, something else we can get behind and support as the VBA. The master plan discussion is perfect timing. It is talking about infrastructure for parks and recreation, and that’s our wheelhouse.”

The good news, he added, is with a record fundraising stampede and money in the bank, the VBA is confident that whatever project they land on, they will be able to make a significant investment, as well as continuing their support for the many other smaller projects they take on each year, which have added up to more than $1.5 million since the first arena was built.

“Three great days of weather really helped us this year,” Wall said, noting there is often one day of rain that causes a drop in attendance.

Also this year, the VBA decided to charge at the Sunday gate for the first time since the stampede became a full-day event. When it was originally decided to open on Sunday, not all the activities that were offered on Saturday and Monday were included, so there was no cost for admission. This year the three days of activities and of gate revenue helped boost the overall profit, said Wall, as did lowering the age for free admission from 14 to 10.

The extra revenue, he said, “helped us cover the security expense —the highest expense we’ve ever had, and also the most expensive security we’ve ever had.”

But it was well worth the cost, said Wall. At a debriefing following the stampede with VBA executive, the security company, the Niagara Regional Police and town representatives, they concluded that “our security worked the way it was supposed to. The issues were dealt with quickly and professionally. That’s security how it should be dealt with in 2024.”

The problems were mostly created by groups of teenagers, some who were there “looking for trouble,” he said. But they were quickly dealt with and “couldn’t do what they came to do. They were trying to fight, but security was right behind them.”

“The bottom line,” Wall said, “is whatever we put in place worked, and stopped things from getting out of hand.”

A brief lockdown at the Four Mile Creek Road gate occurred Monday night, where a teen was stopped and when asked to leave his backpack at the gate according to this year’s security policy, a replica handgun with BB ammunition fell to the ground.

The lockdown that followed “calmed everything down and let us control the situation throughout. Ten years ago, the plan would have been to call 911 and hope for the best,” Wall said.

The security at this year’s stampede “gave us confidence going forward. Everyone was really pleased with the way it worked out, and we’re looking forward to next year, with just a few more tweaks” that were suggested at the debriefing.

From numbers at the gate and purchased wrist bands, Wall estimated this year’s event drew a record 15,000-plus in attendance.
“That’s a lot of people for the small village of Virgil. And yes we had issues, but also a really good event, and we look forward to an exciting year next year. We’re in really good shape for the future.”