Even as provinces begin to ease up on emergency health lockdowns, the virus has claimed yet another of Canada’s major events.
Often considered as marking the last hoorah of summer, the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto has just been cancelled.
A 2017 Economic Impact Assessment, conducted by Enigma Research Corporation,
It now joins a host of other major summer events cancelled including the west coast the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), the Calgary Stampede, International Jazz fests in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, Edmonton’s K-Days, and almost every other summer festival, parade, and fair big and small across the country.
The PNE for example, similar to the CNE was one of the west coast’s largest summer events pumping $85 million into Vancouver’s economy every year.
Now the CNE, also known simply as “the Ex”, has fallen as well. Established in 1879, this will be the first cancellation of the event since the Second World War when the grounds became a military training ground and recruitment centre from 1942 to 45, and reopening in 1947.
The 1965 CNE Aquarama show in front of a packed stadium ( CNE Heritage Archivex)
The annual exhibition with it’s many various displays and demonstrations ranging from agriculture and animals to high tech innovation, midway, concessions, entertainment, a three-day airshow and so on, annually attracts about 1.5 million visitors. Staged in late August and into the Labour Day holiday in early September, the Ex generates ove $90million for Toronto and over $183 million for Ontario and provides some 5,000 seasonal jobs.
The CNE has always attracted the top entertainers, Here the Jackson 5 in 1971 ( CBC Heritage Archives)
While virtually all other summer gatherings of any size across the country have been cancelled, the annual Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest (KWO) in Ontario is still in limbo. The huge original Oktoberfest event in Munich Germany was cancelled in April. but the Canadian organisers of the fall event are waiting to see if the COVID-19 situation improves before making a final decision.
The largest Bavarian celebration in Canada, the KWO for 2020 in early October is still waiting to see if it can proceed. (Mike McCulloch-CBC)
Founded in 1969, the biggest of many Bavarian festivals across Canada, the KWO attracts some 700,000 visitors and adds over $22 million to the local economy.
An announcement on this event is expected in coming weeks.
additional information-sources
- The Ex website
- CBC: N.Boivert: May 12/20: COVID-19 forces Canadian National Exhibition to cancel
- CityNews: May 12/20: CNE cancelled for second time in 142 year history (video report)
- BlogTO: L.O’Neil: The CNE in Toronto is officially cancelled for 2020
- Vancouver Sun: H.Mooney: Apr 24/20 Vancouver folk fest, PNE latest summertime staples to cancel
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.