City prepares for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations

Rain or shine, Charlie Smith from Joe Kool's is expecting a full house for St. Patrick's Day.

“We're expecting a great turnout,” he said. “It's definitely one of the more fun days of the year to go to Joe Kool's, also, definitely one of our busiest.”

For last year's celebrations, COVID-19 was still on the minds of some people. Smith expects this year that that will change as more people are less hesitant about getting out for celebration.

“There was a lot more hesitancy back there. A lot of people, I think, would still refrain from coming out,” Smith said. “Yeah, I'm sure it'll be full house.”

Meanwhile, the London Police Service will be out in force looking for open liquor, underage drinking, and enforcing City of London by-laws.

A lone rioter stands is silhouetted by a fire as he prepares to throw a glass bottle at police during a riot on London, Ont., early Sunday, March 18, 2012. (London Community News, Mike Maloney)“As always, public safety is our priority,” said Const. Sandasha Bough. “We want everyone to have fun, but to do so responsibly, we will have an increased police presence in and around the downtown core, as well as the entire City of London.”

Eleven years ago, the riot on Flemming Drive during St. Patrick’s Day put an international stain on the city's reputation, and while it's not expected to repeat, Bough said police are prepared if things get too rowdy.

“While we're not able to anticipate what might transpire, we will have officers on hand who are trained and prepared for any given situation,” she said.

A traffic note from the city was put up on Richmond Street on Thursday, advising residents that parking on the southbound lanes of Richmond from Oxford to York streets will be prohibited.