After two days of pillaging and plundering, the hornswoggling pirates have been chased out of town.
The second annual Port of Orillia Pirate Party went out with a bang Sunday as Mayor Steve Clarke and allies boarded boats and battled it out with the pirates on Lake Couchiching.
“I’m here today with one mission in mind,” the mayor told the crowd. “We’re going to take it back.”
After a war of words with harbour-master-turned-pirate Allan Lafontaine, Clarke boarded the Royal George and set out to reclaim the port. When all was said and done, the skull and crossbones was removed from the flagpole and the Orillia flag was put back in its place.
“Because we are a friendly city, we’ll give them until Monday to get out of the Sunshine City,” Clarke said. “The city’s back in your hands.”
That drew cheers from those in attendance — except for one young girl, who said to the mayor, “I’d rather have pirates.”
They’ll be back next year to try to reclaim the port.
“We see this as an opportunity for growth and to keep making this an annual event,” said Dean Beers, president of the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce, which operates the port. “I give Allan and his staff credit. Allan has put his heart and soul into this.”
The event attracted a much bigger crowd than it did last year, which was a boon to the city during a weekend that typically isn’t busy, Beers said.
“For a long weekend in Orillia, this port was pretty much empty (in previous years),” he said. “Now we’re pretty much full.”
Beers spoke with downtown business owners, and many said they were much busier than they usually are during the Labour Day long weekend.
“I also talked to boaters and they’re not only going downtown,” he said, noting many told him they took time to explore the city. “It’s one of the highlights of the summer for the chamber, for sure.”
The party isn’t over yet. Mudmen will perform at 7 p.m. at the gazebo near the Orillia Waterfront Centre.
