Still No Decision On Cancelling The Fair

It may be only a few months away but the final decision about whether or not to hold the 2021 edition of the Moose Jaw Hometown Fair is yet to be made.

At their Tuesday evening meeting the Moose Jaw Exhibition Board discussed the potential of holding the Fair deciding in the end to once again move any final decision to next month’s meeting due to the safety risk and the uncertainty surrounding the COVID - 19 pandemic.

“The midway operator is talking about coming out with a smaller midway which is a little bit of a concern to us,” general manager George Fowler said.

The reason for a down-sized midway was due to the operator having difficulties bringing in foreign workers.

Discussion also centered around the fact that 60 percent of the fair attendees at the midway are under the age of 18 and it is unknown if they will be vaccinated by the time the Fair is held in June. Additionally the Board mentioned the uncertainty of the spread of Variants Of Concern (VOC) or mutations to the original coronavirus causing COVID - 19 which are reaching alarming numbers in Regina.

Board members errored on the side of caution expressing concerns holding the Fair was a safety risk for attendees and the Province’s health restrictions may not allow one to happen.

At the present time the Public Health Order would not allow the 2021 Hometown Fair to occur but the orders have been known to change rapidly.

In a written report to the board Fowler wrote speaking to the Province’s Business Response Team it “did not sound like we would be able to have a Fair” however in speaking to the Swift Current Ag and Ex they wanted to hold off on making a final decision.

The carnival operator, West Coast Amusements, is quoted as saying they are not making the final decision on whether or not to come out on the Fair circuit until mid to late May.

In the end the Board unanimously voted to move the decision to their April meeting.