Fans of the Voyageur Days Festival will not gather where the rivers meet in Mattawa again this summer.
Council agreed during their meeting Monday night to postpone the 2021 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic without much discussion.
The recommendation came from the recreation committee and the only amendment was the removal of the year it was being postponed until, with 2022 scratched from the motion as well.
See: No Voyageur Days in 2020 'heartbreaking'
A media release was issued Tuesday by Renee Paquette, recreation and facilities services manager:
“Over the last few weeks, we have been monitoring the situation closely and have determined that, along with government mandates in Ontario, it is no longer safe to move forward with our festival in July of 2021,” the release stated.
“The well-being of our fans, artists, staff, vendors, partners, and the surrounding community is our number one priority. We have, therefore, decided to hold off on having the festival this year.
“These are without doubt unprecedented times but as a town and community, we will all get through this together. We will overcome this and grow from it, but now is the time to be safe and look out for one another by protecting everyone else who supports us. Stay safe and rock on.”
Council decided in April 2020 to pull the plug on the festival as the first wave of the pandemic was in full force with Mayor Dean Backer saying the “risks are way too high.”
Dave Dale is a Local Journalism Reporter with BayToday.ca. LJI is funded by the Government of Canada.
