Not only will this year's Victoria Day fireworks display in Tecumseh's Optimist Park be the first since the start of the pandemic, but it will also be the first with an enhanced police presence.
In 2020, town officials, the Ontario Provincial Police, and the Optimist Club of St. Clair Beach developed a plan to improve safety and security following reports of assaults and intimidating behaviour during the 2019 display.
The OPP charged a 17-year-old with robbery after another teen complained he was assaulted during the display that year. The aggressor allegedly took his cellphone. It was one of several incidents reported to the police.
Of course, the event did not go ahead in 2020 as planned because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There wasn't a display last year either.
The beefed-up OPP presence will cost the town $1,500. Councillors approved the expense earlier this week.
The 43rd annual Victoria Day Fireworks is on Saturday, May 21, in Optimist Park. The rain date is May 22.