Barrhaven Canada Day party disrupted by teenage ‘losers’

Fireworks tossed into crowd ends in clash with police using pepper spray, Taser

Barrhaven’s 35-year tradition of celebrating Canada Day with an outdoor community party was threatened by teenagers who disrupted the event this year, the city councillor for the area says.

Coun. Jan Harder tweeted a message calling the teenagers who threw firecrackers into the crowd “a bunch of irresponsible losers.”

The Canada Day celebration in Barrhaven ended with police pepper spraying a large group of rowdy teenagers, who were attacking them, and subduing a 15-year-old with a Taser.

It started when teenagers began throwing firecrackers into the crowd at Clarke Fields Park, where people had gathered Sunday evening.

Groups of teenagers would run into the crowd, throw a firecracker into the air like a grenade, then run away, said one witness, Mike, who didn’t want his last name used because his wife fears retribution from the rowdy teens.

Mike described some of the firecrackers as projecting a lot of sparks.

“Out of the corner of my eye I saw this light coming through the sky. It landed about 15 feet in front of me. It was a firework. People were running away.”

He was with a group of friends with several small children. He tried to jump in front to shield them.

Security guards were racing around trying to stamp out the firecrackers before they exploded, he said.

“The security guards were running like crazy.”

People recounting the events on social media report being frightened.

“I was one of the teenagers there with my friends and my parents, we were in the crowd and people starting lighting fireworks in the middle of the crowd and hit one guy in the face, everyone started running and I saw a baby get elbowed by some guy. Did not feel safe at all,” wrote Julian Patterson, 15, on Reddit.

“So upset,” said a woman, writing on the Barrhaven Canada Day Facebook page. “Brought our kids to see the fireworks and instead got hit with one of the fireworks that some ridiculous person set off in the crowd … Shame on you whoever you are, to injure innocent people and put so many lives in danger.”

Around 9:30 p.m., police attempted to arrest a 15-year-old boy involved with the firecracker throwing, said Ottawa police spokesman Const. Chuck Benoit.

A group of youths who appeared to be in their mid- to late teens began physically attacking police and throwing things at them, Benoit said. Police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd, he said.

Police also used a Taser to subdue the 15-year-old, who was arrested and taken into custody. He was released later that night to his parent. No charges were laid.

Benoit said he did not know how many police officers were involved, but there were a “large number” of youths.

Paramedics reported treating three people, from 12 to 21 years old, who complained they had been sprayed. No one was taken to hospital.

Harder tweeted that the “losers” came to the Canada Day Party with “1 purpose.” “Who are they?” she asked. In reply to another person on Twitter, Harder said she intended to find out where the youths were from.

She also suggested searches and an increase in paid police officers may be required at future Canada Day festivities.

The Barrhaven Canada Day party included live music, a midway, three stages, games for kids, and fireworks.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw this light coming through the sky. It landed about 15 feet in front of me. It was a firework.