Wedding celebration with ferris wheel leads to complaints, more than a dozen tickets: Surrey, B.C., bylaw department
An extravagant wedding celebration that had a ferris wheel on site was shut down by Surrey, B.C., bylaw officers this week after complaints were received.
Officers were called to a home on 192 Street near 76 Avenue Tuesday evening after getting "multiple noise and traffic complaints from neighbours."
Surrey RCMP were bombarded with complaints about the event and say police received more than 50 calls between 10:30 p.m. Tuesday and 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. The majority of the complaints were about noise.
In a statement to CTV News Vancouver, the city's bylaw department said 15 tickets were issued for parking infractions and multiple vehicles were towed. Mounties also went to the home to support bylaw officers.
"This appeared to be a wedding celebration," the statement said. "Bylaw officers advised the organizer of (the) wedding to stop and desist their activities due to noise and traffic issues impacting the neighbourhood."
The next day, bylaw officers and Mounties went back to the house with building and electrical inspectors. According to the bylaw department, "multiple illegal tents" were set up behind the house along with a ferris wheel. A stop work order was issued because the property owner reportedly didn't get the appropriate permits for the large tents.
"The city also issued compliance orders to the owner due to concerns over the electrical set up," the bylaw department said, adding that fines for zoning and building infractions will be issued.
Surrey RCMP told CTV News in an email its community response unit is still working with the city's bylaw department to fully address the issue. While no tickets were handed out for breaking COVID-19 health orders, Mounties said they're being considered.
Multiple people told CTV News the lavish event was to celebrate the wedding of popular Punjabi singer-actor Parmish Verma and his bride Geet Grewal. She ran unsuccessfully for the Liberals in the last federal election. CTV News reached out to the family to request an interview but did not hear back.
Verma posted videos and pictures of his wedding celebration to his 6.5 million followers on Instagram.
CTV News also spoke to a woman who identified herself as the couple’s wedding planner. She said there were fewer than 130 people at the reception on the night in question and less than 70 guests at most of the wedding events that took place over six days.
She said organizers removed some speakers from the property after a noise complaint Monday.
The planner said the ferris wheel was a surprise for the groom.
But you can’t just put up a ferris wheel on private property, according to bylaws.
The City of Surrey said organizers would have needed “proper zoning for installing and operating a ferris wheel."
"Electrical permits would have been required for electrical connections. No permit for this work was issued,” the city said.
The event organizer said they provided a shuttle service so people didn’t park on the street and screened all guests to ensure they were double vaccinated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.