To:  Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards Town Council Members, The Killaloe Craft and Community Fair Board and Members 

Date: May 7 2025

We, the undersigned residents and concerned members of the Killaloe community and surrounding areas, express our strong opposition to the proposed large-scale knWhere festival event anticipated to bring approximately 5,000 visitors to our small, rural region for a 3 day, 3 stage drum and bass weekend.

Killaloe and its surroundings are home to approximately 2,500 full-time residents, including families, seniors, and individuals who have chosen to live in harmony with nature. 

Hosting an event of this magnitude would overwhelm our local infrastructure and pose significant risks to public health, safety, the environment and the property proposed as a venue.

Our Requests:
-That Killaloe Hagarty and Richards deny the short-notice permit request for this large-scale  knWhere event;

- That the Killaloe Fair consider alternative, lower-impact uses for the land that respect the area's ecological integrity;

- That the Killaloe Fair conduct a comprehensive environmental impact assessment with a non partisan agency, not connected to knWhere

- give consideration for lengthy public consultation before approving any future events of this nature.

-the Killaloe Fair to consider the  creation safe, electronic community music festivals that we would want our children and grandchildren to attend, as this is something our youth is missing and desire, hiring local and friends of the fair dj's, and maintaining a reasonable impact on the Fair Property and the greater community while keeping all the proceeds to go back into the Killaloe community. 

- We are asking that the permit be denied for the following major concerns:

1. Noise Pollution: High-volume music at any time of day will disrupt the tranquility of our community, affecting residents' well-being and disturbing local wildlife. 

2. Environmental Impact: 

The Killaloe Fair site has modest septic facilities and no electricity apart from generators. The main event area is the spillway sands from the recession of the Laurentide ice shield, which created a natural amphitheater and a sheltered glen, which have been maintained as open spaces.

Behind the main stage begins a wetland with some higher topography in areas, feeding the top of the Killaloe Fair Creek, where rare plants and species at risk are known to habituate. 

The event threatens to disturb or permanently damage sensitive ecosystems, trails, marshlands, and forested areas that surround Killaloe and the wild orchids and special plants on the Killaloe craft fair  site. 
The water use for 5000 will affect the aquifer in an already arid region.
the property is not designed for that capacity.
The proposed area includes the top of the watershed of that valley, disruption of wildlife, plants, mycelium will be detrimental due to foot traffic.
The property has no electrical power. It relies on generators for cooling of food, sound systems, lighting. Even small gasoline spills, cumulatively are a major toxic input to the property and the top of the watershed.
Wildlife and Species at Risk: Killaloe is located within an ecologically sensitive zone where several species listed under Ontario’s Species at Risk Act (O. Reg. 230/08) may be present or impacted. These include:
- Birds such as the Red-headed Woodpecker, Short-eared Owl, Loggerhead Shrike, and Yellow-breasted Chat, all of which rely on quiet, undisturbed habitats like forests, thickets, and open fields to nest and feed.
- Reptiles such as the Blanding’s Turtle and Northern Map Turtle, both of which are vulnerable to road traffic, habitat encroachment, and pollution.
- Fish such as the American Eel and Lake Sturgeon, which may inhabit local waterways and are highly sensitive to water pollution and shoreline activity.
-so many different salamanders (salamanders live at the rate of at least one in every 2 square feet)
- Showy Lady’s Slipper, Wild Ginger, Black Cohosh, Blue Cohosh, medicinal mushrooms, as well as a multitude of sensitive aquatic plants

Many of these species are endangered, threatened, labelled ‘species at risk’ and any increase in human traffic(soil compaction, defecation, urination, spilling of fuel, liquids), noise, garbage, and light pollution may have irreversible impacts on their survival in this micro-region that feeds the Brennon Creek watershed.
3. Waste Management: While we acknowledge that organizers may make valiant efforts to manage waste and sanitation, large-scale events often face challenges in this area. Research indicates that the average event wastes between 15% and 20% of the food it produces, contributing to significant environmental concerns. (Source: https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/5146564/LVP-Beyond-Food-Report-FINAL.pdf
It winds up costing the rate payers for these events.

4. Strain on Emergency Services: 

 Our local healthcare facility, St. Francis Memorial Hospital, is a 20-bed community hospital currently undergoing a significant redevelopment with an $18.6 million investment to expand its emergency department by over 6,000 square feet. This investment aims to meet the existing needs of our community, not to accommodate a sudden influx of large-scale tourism. (Source: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1005868/ontario_breaks_ground_on_expanded_emergency_department_in_renfrew_county
Septembers have been hot and dry. with generators, no lighting, cool evenings there is high risk for fire. 
There are only two exits for vehicles out of the Killaloe Craft Fair Site, at the top of the hill. Fire Services would be limited due to access with up to 2,000 vehicles onsite. One vehicle in the wrong place could cripple all access.
Cold nights, hard drugs and poor to no lighting require some sort of miracle to avoid hypothermia or overdose.
Local Police Services are already burdened serving our community. 

6. Traffic and impact and roads. Neighbours will have to expect a very dusty weekend on Simpson Pit, Mountainview and Stone Church Roads.  Most people don’t want dust suppressants in front of their houses, by their wells. It is an expense to rate payers to need to suppress dust for safe visibility and air quality for so much traffic on a relatively local traffic only road system.

7. The poor neighbours will have to listen to a minimum of 72 hours of drum and bass, plus set-up and tear down day sounds. Rate payers shouldn’t need to endure that amount or length of noise. The Killaloe Fair is respectful because they are neighbours and landowners. Electronic music festivals are very very loud, with conflicting beats from different stages. The sound travels great distances.

We ask this respectfully.