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COVID-19 cancels Sylvan Lake’s summer events

The Town of Sylvan Lake has cancelled all major events through to the end of August
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Following the direction from the Provincial Government, the Town of Sylvan Lake has cancelled all events throughout the summer months.

Late last week, Alberta Health and the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, saw that current restrictions to gathering size will be in effect until the end of August.

These restrictions are all applied to all events and festivals held in Alberta, and also caused the Calgary Stampede to cancel its 2020 show for the first time in nearly a century.

Following the order that a gathering can have no more than 15 people, the Town has cancelled the following events: 1913 Days, StrEATS Fest, Mobile Vending Program which includes Food Truck Thrursdays, Canada Day Celebrations, Movies at the Beach, Centennial Street Markets and Jaws at the Lake.

“We understand that festivals and large gatherings hold the potential to be “super-spreader events”, where one sick person can expose many others to the virus, which then spreads across households, communities, and large geographical distances,” The Town said in a press release.

In Edmonton a Curling Bonspiel was held with 73 participants which eventually saw 40 of those participants test positive for COVID-19.

The Town said it was a difficult decision to cancel the major events, but feels it is the right choice.

They emphasized residents must continued to social distance themselves from others to flatten the curve.

“We realize that summer events are important to Sylvan Lakers and our visitors; many people depend on them for livelihood, but we must do everything we can to prevent a local COVID-19 outbreak.”

The Town added everyone must do their part to help contain the spread of the virus over the next days, weeks and months, and that includes avoiding large group activities.

As of printing, there have been no cases of COVID-19 in Sylvan Lake.

“Social distancing is working,” the Town said.