By Canadian Press

Canadian National Exhibition cancelled this summer due to COVID-19 pandemic

May 12, 2020 | 10:51 AM

TORONTO — The Canadian National Exhibition has been cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The annual summer spectacle joins a slew of large public events sidelined by the outbreak, which also forced the cancellation of Toronto’s Pride Parade and Caribbean Carnival, the Calgary Stampede, live Canada Day events in Ottawa and music festivals across the country.

The Canadian National Exhibition Association says it’s “the right decision during this critical time to protect the health of all Canadians.”

This is only the second time in the C-N-E’s 142-year history that it has closed entirely.

The last time was during the Second World War, when the site was transformed into a training and recruitment centre.

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The C-N-E is one of the largest fairs in North America and attracts more than 1.4 million visitors each year.

Organizers say they are looking at whether the C-N-E can offer virtual events online, such as streaming past concerts from the C-N-E bandshell.

The 18-day event had been slated to run August 21st to September 7th.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 12, 2020.

The Canadian Press