Car meets used to fill the summer nights in Vaughan, but now a year after new bylaws in the city, there is a sense of division between residents and car enthusiasts on whether the new rules created restored peace or deleted traditions.
Jonathan Romano attended the meets after visiting his grandmother in Vaughan and was frustrated by the changes. He said, “I really miss those nights. Everyone would be out, and you would hear the engines roaring, music blasting. The city felt alive and the meets gave me a space to get away and be myself.”
Vaughan’s chief communications officer, Jennifer Ormston wrote in an email, “The maximum fine associated with participating in, or having a motor vehicle at, an unauthorized car rally is $10,000, and York Regional Police can also issue administrative penalties of $1,000 for a first offence and $2,000 for any subsequent offence.”
The bylaw includes “anyone sponsoring, collecting money, co-ordinating, advertising, hosting, spectating, attending or riding as a passenger in a motor vehicle.”
Coun. Marilyn Iafrate, who represents Ward 1 (Maple and Kleinburg), stated in an email, “I have no issues with the bylaw that is meant to protect our residents from uncontrolled stunt driving events.”
Romano disagreed. “Yeah, that makes no sense. I really don’t understand what the city of Vaughan is trying to do. Stunt driving is only done by a few people, so why punish all of us for that?”
Ormston also wrote, “The City of Vaughan continues to prioritize public safety for everyone who lives in, works in and visits Vaughan. Unauthorized car rallies are disruptive to everyone’s quality of life and pose a significant risk to the community.”
Coun. Adriano Volpentesta representing Ward 2 for the past three years, said the city tried to balance concerns.
“During the discussion, we were worried, why should we make a negative effect on those people doing it peacefully?”
Volpentesta added, “I know there’s one [car meet] on Highway 7 and Pine Valley, one at the Canadian Tire. These are old, classic cars — Corvettes, Ferraris, Mustangs — cars you and I have never heard of before. They look like antiques from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Those are allowed, as long as you have the permission of the plaza owner, work with bylaw and it’s sanctioned and peaceful.”
Danny Molella, a Vaughan resident who lives near Weston Road, said he supports the bans. “Honestly, I’m glad the city finally did something. You couldn’t even sit on your porch without hearing noise from those car meets. It wasn’t just a few people having fun, it was chaos every weekend. There’s a line between having fun with your car and disturbing everyone in the neighbourhood.”
Volpentesta said he also heard concerns from businesses. “When you hear stories from residents … people couldn’t sleep at night, people were scared to attend the locations. The small business owners who were working hard, family businesses. A lot of people would lose money on those nights and people were scared to walk.”
A year after the new bylaw, car enthusiasts like Romano have fewer options in Vaughan to meet. But for locals like Molella, the rules have brought back peace to the area, with the city not planning to remove the bylaws, according to Volpentesta, “Other municipalities are asking for help to put the bylaws in place for them.”