North Bay postpones Aug. 3 drone show

After problems with stray drones at a July 18 event, North Bay has decided to be cautious and postpone an Aug. 3 drone show.

The City of North Bay has postponed the drone show scheduled for Aug. 3.

The city says the “proactive decision” was made “out of an abundance of caution.”

Pandemonium broke out July 18 during North Bay’s centennial drone show at the Lake Nipissing waterfront when high winds knocked several drones out of the sky.

Struck a parked car

One drone struck a parked car, while another plummeted onto Memorial Drive, where spectators were gathered to watch the display.

The city said it continues to review the recent incident and will “consider further safety measures.”

“Public safety is our highest priority, and we appreciate the community’s understanding and continued support,” the city said in a news release.

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.

The CEO of Drone Light Show Canada 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,” CEO Anugrah Patel said in a recent statement to CTV News.

“We took note of these parameters to ensure that all our future shows run smoothly.”