Mark your calendars! The Coasters Car Club's annual Sleepy Hollow Rod Run and Show and Shine event dates have been confirmed for the next three years.
The Sleepy Hollow Rod Run is a popular event in the summer, where motorheads from on and off the Coast bring out their hot rods and roadsters for a procession from downtown Sechelt through Halfmoon Bay, with the 2021 run featuring more than 120 vintage cars.
An agreement with the District of Sechelt – ratified at the March 20 council meeting – allows the club to use Upper Hackett Park and Cowrie Street for their annual event, historically held the weekend after the BC Day long weekend.
Cowrie Street will be closed during the event and safety cones and other barricades will be placed on the sides of the road for safety.
The dates requested are:
- Aug. 9 and 10, 2024
- Aug. 8 and 9, 2025
- Aug. 7 and 8, 2026
While the District of Sechelt can grant a permit to use its facilities, the club must gather all required permits from different levels of government including the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure before the event.
Coun. Donna Bell asked for clarification as to why the agreement seems to go back and forth between multi-year agreements and one-year terms.
Corporate Officer Kerianne Poulsen explained that the club requested a one-year term when they were unsure if they would continue to operate for multiple years.
Coun. Darren Inkster spoke in favour of the three-year term, calling it “historically relevant for the District of Sechelt.”
Coun. Dianne McLauchlan recommended staying with a one-year term, citing climate issues such as extreme heat, that may make the event environmentally dangerous in coming years.
“Dry grass and cars and people, even people smoking, it makes us very nervous in the village when we get into these extreme, hot times,” She said.
Mayor John Henderson raised the point that a longer commitment gives people the opportunity to plan further ahead.
Council moved to renew the agreement for the next three years, with McLauchlan opposed.
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
