VICTORIA -- The Town of Sidney has cancelled several popular summer events, including the weekly Thursday evening street market, due to COVID-19.
The market, which was entering its 21st consecutive year of operation this summer, regularly brought 3,000 to 5,000 visitors to Sidney each Thursday.
However, ongoing provincial health guidelines, like a ban on gatherings larger than 50 people, have forced the town to cancel this year’s street market schedule.
“When public health orders and physical distancing limitations are relaxed to the extent that cancelled or postponed events can be safely rescheduled, the town will work diligently with community organizers to facilitate these events,” said the municipality Friday.
Meanwhile, the town has also cancelled its annual Sidney Days and Canada Day celebrations for similar reasons.
Last week, the City of Victoria announced that it would also be cancelling its annual Canada Day celebration due to COVID-19.
In the meantime, Sidney says that it is looking at ways to develop “creative” alternative versions of these summer events.
The town hopes to have online activities ready for when these events would normally take place to help keep the community stay connected during the pandemic.
“While we all share in the disappointment of event cancellations, I believe we can also take pride in the way we have come together, by staying apart, to protect our community,” said Sidney Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith in a statement Friday.
