Dragon boats won't be in the Nanaimo Harbour this summer for a second year in a row. (submitted/Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival Society)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

No row

COVID-19 pandemic cancels Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival once more

Feb 22, 2021 | 9:36 AM

NANAIMO — Teams from across B.C. and Canada won’t be in the Nanaimo Harbour again this year for the Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival.

The Festival Society announced on Sunday, Feb. 21 it has cancelled the 2021 event, which was originally scheduled for early July.

“We are unable to ensure the safety of paddlers, vendors, sponsors and spectators both within provincial health and municipal guidelines,” society chair Heiko Behn told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Heiko said they don’t anticipate enough of the COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed in July to ensure everyone in the boat can be vaccinated.

“We have 20 people in a dragon boat in very close proximity to each other so there’s no way we can possible ensure everyone’s safety at this point.”

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There were 37 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Vancouver Island when the event was cancelled for the first time in 2020. Data from Island Health shows there’s nearly 160 considered active within the health authority by Friday, Feb. 19.

Heiko said they were concerned not only for the safety of rowers regarding COVID-19 but also their physical wellbeing.

Teams traditionally start training for the festival in January and many won’t have a chance to be in the water at all before the event.

Dozens of dragon boats sailed during the festival in front of hundreds of spectators at Maffeo Sutton Park.

The Dragon Boat Festival kicks off the month-long Nanaimo Marine Festival, which also includes the Silly Boat Regatta and the World Championship Bathtub Race.

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