Manitoba’s public health orders surrounding COVID-19 may spell the end of a number of notable Flin Flon summer events this year.
According to the provincial government’s document detailing the outbreak and plan to reopen non-essential businesses, public gatherings at a large scale will be suspended in Manitoba until at least September.
“There will be no large gatherings or events until at least September 2020. As the situation evolves, Manitoba public health officials will make decisions based on evidence at the time,” reads a passage on page 32 of the 34-page report.
That news means some summer institutions, like the Flin Flon Trout Festival, Flin Flon Pride and other events, will either be completely cancelled, partially cancelled or postponed.
Trout Festival vice-president Sheena Reed said the vast majority of this year’s festival, supposed to be the 70th edition of the event, may feature a fishing derby. Otherwise, most major events, including the Fish Fry social, Main Street Days, Canada Day parade and others, will be cancelled.
“We’re hoping to save it, maybe the fishing derby event, but we’re going to cancel most of the events because they’re going to involve crowds,” Reed said.
“There’s discussions that we’re going to have, but I would say 90 per cent of it, maybe even 95 per cent of it, is going to be cancelled.”
Flin Flon Pride, held each August, will not be completely cancelled. Several of Pride’s annual events, including the annual Pride parade and other public gatherings, would be banned by the province under existing rules.
“I kind of figured that was coming,” said organizer Jordana Oulette.
“We were going ahead with planning stuff as if it’s still happening. We might end up moving it until sometime in the fall. There’s a lot of hold-ups with fundraising too - we can’t exactly go around asking people for money right now.”
Not long after, Flin Flon Pride issued a group online statement saying the event will still go on in a different form than in years past.
“Our committee had a conference this weekend and decided that we won’t be cancelling our Pride week. This year, Pride will be much different than what it has been, but you can bet that we will be here, visible and celebrating acceptance,” reads the statement, which adds more details may come later in the week.
This year’s Blueberry Jam Music Gathering was announced as cancelled last week. The timing of the provincial decree means even the Flin Flon Arts Council’s next major event - Culture Days, held in late September - could be in doubt.
“We can certainly see that writing on the wall. We’ve been essentially on hold with that. My sense is that it’s not going to be like it was in the past where there’s been 146 events and something for every child in the school system,” said organizer and Flin Flon Arts Council cultural coordinator Crystal Kolt.
“I’ve been speaking with the national office.”
Last week, the Arts Council announced the cancellation of the remainder of the council’s 2019-20 slate of performances as well as Blueberry Jam.
Planning for Culture Days has been in stasis during the outbreak. Kolt said no further plans for the event will take place until organizers know the event will go ahead safely.
“I’ve been determined in not planning anything, just to wait and see what’s going to be happening,” Kolt said.
“Things change minute by minute, week by week. If we get to a point in early September where we can do an event with monitoring and social distancing, whatever the case may be, but right now, I just want to wait and see.”
Kolt said Flin Flon may be in need of a major celebration once the outbreak is over.
“I think everybody is so looking forward to the time we can all get together and celebrate as one big northern family. We’re all looking forward to that. That being said, it’s all just a big ‘if’ whenever we’re allowed to do something.”
Another seasonal event affected by the outbreak is the Flin Flon Motorcyclist’s Association (FFMA) Run to the Border. The event, originally planned for May 23 along with the annual social, has been cancelled. The club’s annual motorcycle raffle will still be held by organizers May 23.
“This decision was not made lightly, as it will hamper our ability to give back to the community,” said an online statement from the FFMA.
