New road closures in effect for Friday the 13th biker rally in Port Dover, Ont.
CBC
The only Friday the 13th of the year is coming up this week and for Port Dover, Ont., that means the return of the famous biker rally.
Since 1981, the traditional ride on every Friday the 13th draws thousands of bikers to Port Dover, with visitors coming in from across North America.
According to the Norfolk County website, road closures will begin Thursday at noon and continue until 4 a.m. Saturday. Main Street will be closed, along with Nelson Street W., part of Greenstock Street W., and portions of other streets that intersect with Main Street downtown. The municipality and organizers have shared an event map showing what will be closed and where people can park.
For the first time, St. George, Walker and St. Andrew streets will be for motorcycle traffic only. "If you live on these roads and need to leave/return home for the duration, please treat these roads as one-way, and turn onto the first available side street to travel through town," Norfolk County said.
Co-organizers, The Port Dover Kinsmen, will provide a shuttle bus from a parking lot out of town. On Facebook, the organization said it expects up to 200,000 visitors to the town of about 8,000.
The rally will feature concerts starting Thursday at 7 p.m., and Friday at 11 a.m., including by Tragically Hip, Mötley Crüe and Guns N' Roses cover bands.
This will be the only Friday the 13th in 2025, with three coming in 2026.
In a June 6 news release, the Norfolk County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said most people attending the events are motorcycle enthusiasts looking to have fun. Still, he said, police will be more present than usual in Port Dover in the interest of "traffic safety."
The detachment said "outlaw motorcycle gang members" will likely be in attendance and that wearing gang-related clothing can increase the risk of being targeted by rival groups.
Residents should also be mindful of rules around where they can park and consume alcohol, police said. They also warned that airspace over the municipality's downtown will be closed to prevent conflicts with drones.
"Motorcyclists and other drivers are reminded to share the road safely, particularly with the higher traffic volume expected over the weekend," OPP said.
A holiday event that began in 2020 during the pandemic with three floats on pickup trucks has now become one of Kelowna’s big winter events, drawing thousands to the city’s downtown core.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse.
It’s been hard to keep track of how many legal challenges and active court proceedings the United Conservative government has tried to quash or pre-emptively block in the last six weeks, but let’s try to tally:
Margaret Walker, the emcee of a Waterloo vigil commemorating the victims of the Montreal massacre, doesn't feel enough is being done to reflect on the killings and address gender-based violence.
The P.E.I. Humane Society says it is doing far more fundraising than it used to, and rising expenses — including the cost of animal medications — are a big reason why.
Ottawa is staring down a court-ordered deadline to submit a new plan to reform the on-reserve child welfare system, as a group of First Nations leaders and children’s advocates prepare a competing proposal.
An underpass revitalization project that was meant to pay tribute to the people of Parkdale has instead deteriorated into “a garbage dump,” according to nearby residents.
A young man has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm after a fire at a frat party near Western University that injured five sorority sisters, including two seriously, late Tuesday night.
The massive deal to combine one of Hollywood's oldest studios with a streaming giant hasn't even been approved yet, but it's already riling multiple related industries and politicians concerned about monopolies and media concentration.
Mi'kmaq chiefs and a former Nova Scotia justice minister are criticizing the provincial government for directing police to crack down on illegal cannabis, saying the order undermines relations with Indigenous Peoples.
For years, there has been “glaring inequity” in the way the province has allocated the millions of dollars in its county roads budget, according to Department of Transportation Minister Chuck Chiasson.
Six months after passing a law aimed at making it easier for new grocery stores to open, Manitoba's premier says lower grocery bills could be on the horizon.
Timothy Smith was acting in self-defence when he punched Landon Waddell, and shouldn't be found guilty of manslaughter, his lawyer says.