Safety barriers set up in downtown Kitchener ahead of Oktoberfest celebrations

Mifram barriers have been set up near the main stage at Willkommen Platz. CTV’s Jeff Pickel explains why.

With just hours remaining before the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest keg tapping, organizers are getting ready to host a large and thirsty crowd full of Bavarian cheer.

Anyone heading to the main stage at Willkommen Platz on King Street in Kitchener may notice a new security feature has been added this year.

Mifram barriers have been set up near the main stage.

“We can move this in seconds, but it will stop a truck,” Steve Roth, special events manager with the City of Kitchener, explained. “It’s kind of a best of both worlds type of unit.”

The features have been installed at each road entrance to Willkommen Platz to keep the anticipated crowd safe.

“We have brought these in to help with hostile vehicle litigation,” Tracy Van Kalsbeek, executive director of K-W Oktoberfest said.

The proactive measure comes as festivals around the world have dealt with the deadly consequences of people unexpectedly driving vehicles into large groups of people.

“There have been incidents where people have tried to use vehicles to create some devastation at events. That’s what we do as event organizers – we plan,” Van Kalsbeek said.

Although the Oktoberfest celebrations in Kitchener have been safe in the past, organizers said they can’t take that safety for granted.

“We’re aware that there’s 25,000 to 30,000 people [at Oktoberfest] and we’re responsible for them,” Roth said.

The city has not confirmed how much the Mifram barriers cost, but Roth believes they are worth it.

“Yes, these are expensive. But when it comes to safety, there is no question that this is paramount,” he said.

The events at Willkommen Platz get underway with the official keg tapping ceremony and pre-show starting at 11:30 a.m. CTV News Kitchener will be livestreaming the event for anyone who cannot make it in person.