Kite festival causes mess in Cambridge

A kite festival over the weekend in Cambridge has created a mess in more ways than one.

The event organized by the Gujarati Hindu Society (GHS) was affected by heavy winds. Cambridge residents are now finding kites and strings all over Riverside Park, the Speed River, nearby trees and backyards.

Ward 3 Councillor in Cambridge Corey Kimpson told CityNews in a statement that the mess is quite widespread. She said more debris continues to appear up to eight city blocks away.

Although, she added that the GHS is taking full responsibility and will be covering the costs of the clean up. Despite that, president of the GHS, Ankit Pate, said that people have still responded with racist comments.

“There are text messages or comments that are coming saying F-words, ‘go back to your country,’ and ‘this is not your country,'” said Patel. “I am totally feeling for the people who got an issue out of it, but these strings are not dangerous at all. There is no need to [bring down] the Hindu word.”

Patel said that he believes the problem has been slightly overblown, and that some are using the incident as an excuse to be racist.

Coun. Kimpson stated that the City of Cambridge prides itself in being an inclusive and welcoming community.

“We welcome all types of events and have the same expectations from everyone who organizes and attends, to be respectful of and another and of our beautiful natural areas and parks.”

If you notice kite debris, residents are encouraged to report anything they cannot safely remove on their own to servicecambridge@cambridge.ca or by calling 519-623-1340.