LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. -- Add Whoop Up Days and Canada Day to the growing list of events you won’t be attending this summer.
Now that all summer gatherings, including festivals, have been banned as per the order of Alberta's chief medical officer of health, organizers of two of Lethbridge's biggest celebrations have confirmed, they won’t happen this year.
"Due to ongoing developments regarding the COVID-19 pandemic it is with heavy hearts that we announce the cancellation of the 2020 edition of Whoop-Up Days Family Festival," said Rudy Friesen, Exhibition Park CEO in a release Friday.
While the news is hard to take, Friesen says organizers "fully support" Dr. Deena Hinshaw's decision.
The city followed that announcement with its own news release, saying all City of Lethbridge events and activities for Canada Day will not take place this year.
“I encourage our residents to have fun and creative Canada Day celebrations in their own backyards while still observing proper social and physical distancing practices and by adhering to mass gathering restrictions,” Mayor Chris Spearman said.
No fireworks
The annual fireworks display is among the events that will not take place in Lethbridge on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. All food and merchandise vendors and performers are being notified of this decision.
“I know that this decision will come as a disappointment to many residents who enjoy this annual event, but discussions are already underway to celebrate Canada Day in a different format,” says Spearman. “Thanks to all Lethbridge residents who are working so hard to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
The federal government has announced virtual national Canada Day festivities in Ottawa.
The cancelling of two major events comes as another blow to the local tourism sector.
“We've already seen a number of major event cancellations,” says William Slenders, Executive Director of Tourism Lethbridge. “The dragon boats (2020 ATB Financial Lethbridge Rotary Dragon Boat Festival), the airshow (Alberta Air Fest), now Whoop Up Days, we're unsure about things like Street Wheelers but given Dr. Hinshaw’s recommendation we're not expecting to hear good things from that.
Economic blow
A survey of local businesses shows COVID-19 is having a widespread negative impact on jobs and the bottom line.
“Just over half of businesses have reduced staff in some way,” says Economic Development Lethbridge Chief Executive Officer Trevor Lewington, “and almost 80 per cent have seen a reduction in sales, so that’s pretty significant.”
There were 256 responses to the survey, which was conducted by the Lethbridge Region Economic Recovery Task Force. 182 of the businesses that responded were from the city of Lethbridge, while the other 74 came from the surrounding region.
Lewington says the hospitality and tourism sector has been hard hit, with skyrocketing vacancies at local hotels and motels. He says the restaurants and personal service businesses have also been severely impacted.
It is now becoming clear that the pain won’t be over by summer. “Really, we are just trying to see where the light at the end of the tunnel will be,” says Slenders.
Exhibition Park says all of its facilities remain closed, and there will be no on-site activities and gatherings for the rest of the summer, with the Farmers’ Market being one potential exception.
"The food portion of the market is considered by the province to be an essential service. As such, potential iterations of a weekly food-only market are being examined. Our current efforts focus on whether we can provide this service while still adhering to all restrictions currently in place," Friesen says.
Friesen says that option is being looked at, and details are expected in the coming weeks.
The cancellation of Whoop-Up Days joins other summer festivals that have been shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Calgary Stampede and Edmonton's K-Days were both cancelled Thursday.
