High winds knock drones from sky at North Bay centennial show

The City of North Bay and a drone operator are investigating after high winds knocked several drones out of the sky during one of the city's centennial shows.

Pandemonium broke out Friday night during North Bay’s centennial drone show at the Lake Nipissing waterfront as high winds knocked several drones out of the sky. One drone struck a parked car, while another plummeted onto Memorial Drive where spectators had gathered to watch the display.

T.J. Elzinga, who attended the show with his wife and child, described the unsettling scene. The event, initially delayed due to weather, began shortly after 10 p.m., but trouble arose almost immediately.

Spectators witness drones losing control

“You could kind of tell something was up within a minute of them going up,” Elzinga said. “They weren’t maintaining formation.”

He noted the strong winds that evening, which suddenly intensified, sending some of the drones crashing toward the crowd. “We were just kind of making sure everyone was okay,” Elzinga said. “I could tell with the speed of the wind that it was probably not a good idea for them to be going up.”

As drones began falling, panic spread among onlookers, with some rushing to safety.

8 drones downed, 2 outside safety zone

A total of eight drones fell during the incident. Six landed within the designated safety zone, which included Shabogesic Beach, the boardwalk, volleyball courts, playground and the beachside sidewalk along Memorial Drive.

However, two drones were blown out of the zone – one landing directly on Memorial Drive and another striking the hood of a parked car just feet away from Elzinga.

Elzinga captured the chaotic moment on video. “When I turn around, my wife is holding one, and it’s one on the guy’s hood,” he said.

City and operator launch investigation

Gord Young, a spokesman for the City of North Bay, confirmed that officials are working with the licensed provider, Drone Light Show Canada Inc., to review the incident.

“We are working with the operator to review the incident, determine what occurred, and take appropriate measures,” Young said. “We are also aware of witness reports and continue to gather information.”

Two additional drone shows are scheduled for August 3 and 29.

Operator blames sudden gust, vows improvements

Drone Light Show Canada’s CEO Anugrah Patel attributed the incident to unexpected wind conditions.

“We double-checked and verified that all safety parameters were in place; the incident was purely caused by the sudden gust,” Patel said in a statement to CTV News. “We took note of these parameters to ensure that all our future shows run smoothly.”

Calls for relocation to minimize wind impact

Elzinga suggested that future drone shows be moved to a more sheltered location, such as Memorial Gardens, to avoid lake winds.

“Maybe do it at Memorial Gardens,” he said. “That way you don’t have the wind coming off the lake to deal with.”

No major damage reported; claims process outlined

The company stated that no significant damage resulted from the incident. However, the city noted that any property damage claims would be handled through its standard insurance adjustment process.

“Any claims of property damage will be referred to the city’s independent insurance adjuster and handled through the normal process,” officials said.