St. Patrick's Day revelers on Richmond Row. (File photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn Media)St. Patrick's Day revelers on Richmond Row. (File photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn Media)
London

Restaurants, bars - and police - ready for St. Patrick's Day's unrestricted return

Enjoy, but enjoy responsibly.

That is the message from both restaurateurs and London police as the province marks its first unrestricted St. Patrick's Day in three years.

Green-clad revelers are expected to flood the downtown to celebrate on Thursday and many will be looking to make up for the two years lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Just a day before Irish festivities were to commence in 2020, the Ontario government declared a state of emergency and the province went into its first lockdown. The following year, pandemic related public health measures subdued the party again with social gatherings capped at ten people indoors and 25 people outdoors. Restaurants and bars were allowed to open, but with limited capacity.

This year all restrictions, except the mask mandate, are gone and Environment Canada is calling for sunshine and a warm high of 19 C. A combination, Joe Kool's and Toboggan Brewing Company partner Rick Doyle hopes will bring much needed life and business to the downtown.

"After two years of what everyone has been through, I think people are ready to get out. I think they are ready to experience some socializing once again," said Doyle. "There is going to be a steady stream of people all day long... And with the weather forecast the way that it is, what could be better on St. Patrick's Day?"

As a special treat, Toboggan has brewed up an exclusive St. Patrick's Day ale.

"We have an Irish Red Ale that is nitro infused. It's a tremendous beer that is a limited time offer, brewed specifically for St. Patrick's Day, so when it's gone, it's gone," said Doyle.

Over at Joe Kool's there will be specially cocktails, food, giveaways, and live music.

"It's going to be nice to see people once again in the downtown, moving around," added Doyle. "Enjoy and enjoy safely. If you're going to have a few cocktails or beers, there are lots of cab companies that would love to give you a ride home."

Irish pub Molly Blooms, another Richmond Row fan favourite, won't be serving up its usual St. Patrick's Day breakfast. What it will have is green beer, a live performance by the Canadian Celtic group The Sheridan Band and traditional Irish dancers.

"We’re getting stocked, we’re getting pumped and we’re getting GREEN," Molly Blooms posted to social media.

The establishment hopes to keep the party going until the early hours of Friday morning and noted everything will be on a first come, first serve basis with no reservations being taken.

In anticipation of the excitement and potentially rowdy behaviour that could come from the first real St. Patrick's Day parties since 2019, London police began issuing public safety reminders on Monday.

"We just want to encourage everyone to enjoy themselves but to do so responsibly," said Constable Sandasha Bough. "We will maintain a highly visible presence throughout the City of London to ensure public safety. We will be monitoring any events that take place and will respond accordingly."

Bough added that there will be additional officers in the downtown and in neighbourhoods around Western University and Fanshawe College.

"We will have officers out there just looking at things in relation to bylaws, liquor licence act offences, highway traffic act offences, as well as criminal code offences," said Bough.

Police are once again using the 'DontInviteUs2UrParty' hashtag on its social media channels to highlight ways to stay safe and keep officers from attending the celebrations.

The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) also offered up some tips to help people avoid an emergency room visit on the day.

"Last year 44 per cent of contributing factors leading to emergency department visits on St. Patrick’s Day were falls. Whether these falls were slips or trips, we recognize that falls in general are preventable," said LHSC Injury Prevention Specialist Kaitlyn Jacobs. "While we don't know the specifics of what lead to these falls, we do know that St. Patrick's Day is synonymous with drinking. Being impaired can increase your risk of injury due to inhibition of coordination and judgement."

Jacobs said revelers should monitor their alcohol consumption and ensure they are staying adequately hydrated with water.

Other tips to avoid a St. Patrick's Day trip to the hospital include recognizing potential dangers before making a decision, ensuring a safe ride home prior to leaving the house, and wearing clothing that is easily visible if planning to walk home, especially at night.

“With restrictions loosening and predictions for nice weather, we anticipate Londoners will be excited to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year,” said Jacobs. “Our hope is they follow these tips so they can enjoy it safely.”

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