Item - 2025.MM29.5

Councillor Chris Moise, seconded by Councillor Frances Nunziata, recommends that:

1. City Council request the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to review and amend its Special Occasion Permit process for non-profit organizations to include a municipal approval process to reduce nuisance actors.

In recent months, my office along with several of my colleagues have experienced a surge in concerns around public safety, dangerous overcrowding, and noise complaints stemming from certain non-profit organizations hosting large-scale rave parties. Currently, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario issues Special Occasion Permits without requiring these organizations to notify municipal authorities, creating a regulatory gap that allows potentially problematic events to proceed unchecked. While the majority of non-profit events in our city contribute positively to our community, a few have exploited regulatory exemptions, undermining the public trust and safety that these guidelines are intended to protect.

This motion seeks to address this oversight by requesting that the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario amend its Special Occasion Permit process for non-profit organizations. By including municipalities in the approval process for these permits, as is the current practice for for-profit entities, the motion aims to enhance local oversight in event planning. Additionally, the establishment of a municipal complaint process will provide a structured channel for addressing grievances and ensuring that non-compliant events are swiftly managed. Through these amendments, we aim to preserve the integrity of non-profit events while safeguarding public safety and community welfare.