Cities cancel spring and summer events through June

Cities pull the plug on spring events From CTV Kitchener’s Krista Simpson: Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge have officially announced that all community events are cancelled or postponed until June.

KITCHENER — The Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo have postponed or cancelled events through the month of June.

Each of the cities announced the news on Monday afternoon.

"This is sad news as our annual festivals and events are very important to the fabric and vitality of Cambridge, but the protection of our residents has to be our primary concern,” said Mayor Kathryn McGarry in a news release.

The decision to hold off on any municipally-run events was agreed upon by the Pandemic Control Group and will impact all municipalities in Waterloo Region.

While many events are outright cancelled, some, like INVEST Cambridge's Business Appreciation Breakfast, have been rescheduled.

In Kitchener, the city says the decision to extend event cancellations was made to give events partners time to plan accordingly.

“Today’s decision is another difficult one but a necessary one. We need to stay home, practice physical distancing and do everything we can to help stop the spread of COVID-19,” says Mayor Berry Vrbanovic in a statement.

The events include the KW Multicultural Festival, Summer Lights Festival, Eid-ul-Fitr Festival, TacoFest and tri-Pride.

Vrbanovic says he hopes to see many of the events rescheduled or, if not, return next year.

Dozens of events in Waterloo have also been affected.

While it falls just outside the cancellation and postponement date, the three cities say they're considering different options for Canada Day.