Wakefield cancels beloved event

A Halloween event that for years has seen area trick-or-treaters converge on one street in Wakefield, a town north of Gatineau, has been cancelled this year because of the risks posed by COVID-19.

“Sadly, the residents of Burnside-elmdale have decided we cannot comfortably host our beloved Halloween party this year,” Dawn Airey, one of the event's organizers, wrote on her Facebook page. “This means we will not be accepting candy contributions and the roads will not be closed to traffic.

“This breaks our heart. We adore having a big huge street party where everyone can safely trick or treat. And we have done it through snow, torrential rains and even floods. But the pandemic is just too risky.”

There are fewer than two dozen trick-or-treat-age children on Burnside Rd. But the street's popularity as ground zero for Halloween is such that it attracts hundreds of children, the city closes the street to traffic and residents contribute to a candy reserve that means homeowners on Burnside don't foot the entire bill for Halloween treats.

“Halloween is crazy each year for us and gets bigger and bigger each year,” wrote Airey. “We are up to 700+ kids and we organize 20,000 pieces (of candy) in contributions from the community for these kids. ... We try our best to keep Halloween as safe as possible with the help of police and firefighters.”