Quesnel SkyFest 2017 Cancelled

Courtesy of the Quesnel SkyFest Society:

The Quesnel SkyFest Society is deeply concerned with the current wildfire situation throughout the province and in particular the Cariboo Region. Our thoughts are with all the families directly and indirectly impacted by this catastrophic and historic event.

The Quesnel Airport has now been designated a fire support base by the Provincial Forest Service and government. This status is officially put in place for a minimum of 30 days which directly overlaps the Quesnel Airshow holiday long weekend event. This airport designation and level of fire attack activity will render it all but impossible to conduct an airshow simultaneously with fire suppression activities. Therefore, after careful consideration of all the circumstances, and in consultation with the City of Quesnel, the Quesnel SkyFest Society will be cancelling the Quesnel Airshow for the 2017 season.

The Society is reviewing and considering all options whether the show will be postponed to 2018 and or other possibilities. We will provide this information in a further news release as soon as we are able.

This decision is a heavy one to make at this point in time, given the thousands of volunteer hours already put into making this year’s show one of the biggest and best thus far. We were planning many new activities in light of the Canada 150 Celebrations that have been ongoing throughout the country this summer. A great number of volunteers have been directly or indirectly impacted by the current wildfire situation and yet, have continued to work tirelessly toward hosting yet another successful event. The directors of the Society wish to extend our heartfelt thanks for their commitment and wish everyone the best in the face of these current challenges. We hope that the spectator crowd, sponsors, performers, and all those impacted by this decision will exercise compassion and understanding at this time.

We realize cancellation of this year’s event will be a disappointment to some but know that a great number of people planning to attend, working, and or volunteering at this event will have their focus on the safety of their families and properties. The Quesnel SkyFest Society and the City of Quesnel feel this is the responsible thing to do at this time and will update everyone once new plans have been finalized.

Sincerely,

Jerry van Halderen
Quesnel SkyFest Society President