Canadian Tulip Festival: Ottawa, Canada May 2015

[Eric B]

Hello

Thank you Stuart

As stated earlier this is NOT A PARADE.

This is a National Commemoration Service organized by DND and Veterans Affairs Canada at the National War Memorial.

The Ottawa Tulip Festival (Who is their own entity and is not the Canadian Government) invited the re-enactor world and MV owners to participate in their events. A Military encampment/ battle etc was envisioned including a PARADE. Some of the re-enactors and MV owners volunteered to help.

When the Tulip Festival organizers eventually started to seriously look at a parade, they discovered that VAC and DND had already booked a date and submitted a permit for a Ceremony...as a result they offered the MV’s for the event, not knowing the difference between a Parade and a Ceremony. (Sometimes both are put together)

When i was approached to assist with the PARADE it took me a while to eventually hook up with my old contacts to get the answers that i needed. Thus i discovered that this is NOT A PARADE and could not be made into one due to the restrictions already in place.

This event is on a weekday; therefore roads in the vicinity cannot be closed for any significant period of time. Only rolling closures will take place to get the Ceremony participants from a - b. Only one lane will be closed nearest to the NWM on the east and west side during the service.

There is only room for the MV's to park on the west side. Thus restricting space, which is why no trailers, towed guns etc will be permitted.

There is no available space available to unload un-plated vehicles and then to park the tow vehicle with trailer. As a result we have to limit participants to those that can get to the staging area under their own power legally.

The Dutch Government is not involved in any of the planning.

This is not what any of us had envisioned when we heard about a PARADE being planned but it is the best we can come up with under the circumstances.

As Stuart indicated all vehicles are still welcome to participate in the Tulip
Festival Events.

Thanks

Eric