What would happen if Hamilton saw a Trinity Bellwoods-type gathering?

Hamilton officials say bylaw officers issued 61 pandemic-related charges over the weekend — measures it hopes will prevent a Trinity Bellwoods-type situation from unfolding here.

Monica Ciriello, manager of licensing with the city, said that on Saturday and Sunday bylaw officers issued 15 physical-distancing charges and 46 park bylaw charges, with most issued at Albion Falls and Chedoke Falls. The falls are closed. Fines for such offences range from $500 to $750, or higher, if the offence is serious or the person is a repeat offender.

The charges came the same weekend Toronto saw thousands of sunseekers and picnic-goers descend on popular west-end park Trinity Bellwoods. The crowds sparked online outrage and rebukes from the city’s mayor and medical officer of health.

Paul Johnson, director of Hamilton’s Emergency Operations Centre, said by issuing tickets and urging physical distancing now, he hopes Hamilton won’t see any park parties break out in the future.

“My hope is … that it will regulate itself,” Johnson said at a Monday briefing. “People will figure out, ‘Yeah, we can go out and do more’ and now, though, ‘I need to not be in certain places because they’re too crowded.’ ”

He noted there has been an uptick in physical-distancing tickets being issued and that, as we move into the 11th week of lockdown, people should know the rules by now.

“We’re beyond the education in most cases,” Jonson said.

While the vast majority of Hamiltonians

are complying with the pandemic rules, some still, disappointingly, are not, Johnson said.

“Unfortunately, over the weekend we saw a fair bit of damage to the barricades that we put in front of (the escarpment stairs) as people are attempting, I guess to use the stairs,” Johnson said.

Bylaw officers will more closely monitor the stairs moving forward, he said.

As for what might happen if the city sees an escalation of bad behaviour, Johnson said the city might have to take “alternative measures.”

One option could be closing green space in a park, but Johnson said that would be “extreme.” He encouraged people to just avoid places that appear busy.