Town says it didn't sanction boisterous party at Bled Hall party in Lincoln

A boisterous Saturday night party at Bled Hall - which some residents estimated had about 2,000 attendees - ended with a 33-year-old man being sent to an out-of-town hospital with multiple gunshot wounds.

And according to the Town of Lincoln, where the hall is located, the event was not sanctioned.

The victim's injuries are considered non-life threatening, according to Niagara Regional Police who said they were called to the hall, located at 4650 South Service Rd., at 10:35 p.m. Saturday.

Charges have not been laid at this time and the police investigation is ongoing, said police corporate communications manager Stephanie Sabourin.

Lincoln resident Joyce Kerpel posted on social media about the large, reportedly noisy gathering at the hall.

They were parked on the road and in Westbrook parking lot," she told Niagara this Week. They were walking on the road, and we were behind some, and they would not move so we honked the horn and of course, got a dirty look. I asked one of the ladies what was going on - she said 'just a get together.' "

While she didn't see anything going on during the day, Kerpel said she was told the event had been going on all day.

My neighbours in the park were saying they could not relax in their own backyards," she said.

Kerpel said her biggest issue with the event was the amount of people gathered during a pandemic.

She said she approached a police officer outside Bled Hall (before the shooting) and asked how the event was allowed to be held. She claims he told her it was sanctioned by the town.

In connection with that allegation, Sabourin said it would be inappropriate to speculate on the comments of an unidentified officer at the scene.

But Lincoln's chief administrative officer Mike Kirkopoulos said the event was not sanctioned by the town.

Kirkopoulos said the correspondence they saw about the event called it a Family Fun Day," but at no time did event organizers go through the proper channels to get a special events permit.

Our bylaw officers worked closely with Niagara Regional Police Services and Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and acting where appropriate the evening the event occurred," he said. At no time did we not act, in fact we were very proactive and ensured we had ample staff on site. However, I understand that the event organizers were stonewalling both law enforcement and municipal bylaw staff that were on site."

Our staff and police are reviewing the situation and will act accordingly and will ensure there are ramifications, if possible, to both the organizer and the property owner," Kirkopoulos said.

Kerpel said the town is asking all businesses to follow COVID-19 rules, and then they allow this," she said. We have a business in Burlington and are not sure if we are going to be OK. We follow all the rules and have had to close down three times."

Niagara this Week has not been able to contact the party's organizers.

In an email to Niagara This Week, police affirmed that the event was not sanctioned by the town.

I am just very thankful that the person shot is going to be OK and no one else was hurt," said Kerpel.

Attempts to reach the Bled Slovenian Cultural Club, which runs Bled Hall, were unsuccessful.