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Mono gives the nod for fall fair, waives exemption fee

March 19, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

The Orangeville Agricultural Society (OAS) has applied to have a Mono noise bylaw exemption fee waived.

Jen Arnold, the general manager of the OAS Events Centre, and Matt Patriquin of Good Times Truck Pullers Association spoke to Mono council during its March 10 meeting.

The new bylaw was adopted in February to replace the former rules that council had said were antiquated and unenforceable. The former bylaw had been on the books without update since 2004.

The OAS previously said the parameters of the new bylaw are too restrictive and may eliminate some events that community groups host at the OAS Events Centre in the town. That would mean less money to those groups and a large cut to the events centre’s annual revenue.

If the events centre can’t keep the lights on, then even the groups that put on events that don’t generate noise will also be on the hunt for a new venue.

The OAS hosts the annual Orangeville Fall Fair, a three-day community event featuring activities from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The society, in a letter to Mono council, said that event times may vary slightly due to operational requirements, weather, or unforeseen circumstances, and that amplified sound is used only during scheduled event periods.

The noise exemption comes with a $500 fee, a sum that the OAS has said is a significant financial challenge for the group.

“As a non-profit society funded primarily through donations, sponsorships, and volunteer efforts, this additional cost impacts the sustainability of the (fall fair) and raises concerns regarding equitable treatment of longstanding community functions,” the group stated in a letter to council.

Patriquin said the fall fair has brought the community together for almost two centuries.

“It represents the rural character and heritage that communities like ours were built on and continue to be a part of,” he said.

The truck-and-tractor pull, a demolition derby, and live music have become enjoyed facets of the annual fair, he said. They’re events that are louder than everyday life, he said, but they happen just once a year.

The fair is run almost entirely by volunteers who work to keep the tradition going. During the fair, visitors from elsewhere inside and outside the county dump money into the local economy.

“Granting this (noise) exemption is not about ignoring bylaws,” Patriquin said.

Mayor John Creelman said the OAS has indicated the $500 exemption application fee is a significant hurdle for the group. He asked Arnold if there was an auditor’s report to prove that assertion.

“I can provide that,” Arnold said.

“And how soon can we see that?” Creelman said. “Because, ultimately, we’ll make a decision based on your viability.”

Arnold said she could provide the documents the following day.

Councillor Elaine Capes asked Arnold whether monetary prizes are awarded to participants in various events.

Arnold said money is indeed paid out in that respect.

Patriquin said he’s gathered about 950 signatures over two weeks on a petition for the fair’s bylaw exemption.

Creelman asked if people who signed the petition had indicated where they live.

They’re from the area, Patriquin said.

Deputy Mayor Fred Nix said he doesn’t enjoy noisy demolition derbies, but he’s in favour of granting the exemption. However, he said he wasn’t quite sure about waiving the $500 fee.

“It’s not that I want to be hard on you financially,” he said.

Arnold said the fee wouldn’t be paid by the OAS. Rather, the fee would come from the community groups and exhibitors that take part in the fair.

“The sponsors are paying for that $500,” she said. “The fair is a different entity from the building.”

Mono taxpayers who donate money for the fair and those who are society members ultimately pay that exemption fee “to the town that we live in (and) we also pay taxes in,” she said.

“You get a very favourable tax rate,” Nix said, and added that events like demolition derbies are agricultural activities.

Creelman said agricultural societies are 100 per cent exempt from taxes.

Arnold said the first tractor pull at the fair took place in the 1930s, while the derbies have taken place since the 1960s.

“Most of the people taking part in those activities are farmers,” Patriquin said.

Creelman said the town is not trying to ban activities by way of an exemption application. The town is hoping to get a handle on how much noise is created and the hours during which it occurs. He doesn’t think it is necessary for fall fair events to go as late as 11 p.m.

“But I could be dissuaded on that,” he said.

Capes said other fall fairs in other municipalities have to apply for exemptions.

“It’s not unusual, so I don’t think we should exempt that fee,” Capes said.

Council voted to issue the noise exemption for this year’s edition of the fall fair in September. Amplified noise has to end at 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 10 p.m. on Sunday. The application fee was also waived.

The OAS also has to provide a phone number to somebody who will be on site should they need to be asked to turn down the volume.

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