From their website:
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Pacific Northwest Music Festival
Terrace, BC, Canada
PNMF 2020 CANCELLED
To all Participants in the Pacific Northwest Music Festival, their Parents, Teachers, Volunteers, and Friends of the Festival;
We are all distressed and concerned by the global outbreak of the Covid19 virus and its impact on both people and events. Unfortunately at this time the situation is continuing to worsen with a ban on gatherings of 50 or more now in effect, hygiene protocols in place at most public venues, and border controls coming into effect. All of this just emphasizes the seriousness of the situation.
On Monday, Mar 16 The President of the PNMF made the difficult decision to cancel the Pacific Northwest Music Festival for 2020, in the interest of the health and well-being of all concerned. This decision was ratified at the PNMF Committee meeting the evening of Tuesday Mar 17.
The decision to cancel was not taken lightly, we know the amount of time and effort that everyone involved, in particular the competitors, have put into preparation for the festival, because we ourselves have been there. However, as an arts community we must listen to the health professionals who know how these things work. There is a world of difference between what is happening now and other events we have dealt with in the past.
Initially we investigated the possibility of saving the Festival by restricting the audience size, cancelling all large groups, and similar ideas, however it quickly became apparent that none of these would provide an adequate level of safety for all concerned, including those outside the Festival who are working in or using the various venues. We feel that postponing the Festival is not a viable option.
Knox United Church has advised that they will be closing and not available for our use. We fully expect that some or all of our other venues will follow suit, leaving us with no venue.
The PNMF is currently working to implement a refund procedure and we will contact you with more information as it becomes available. We are committed to offering full refunds to all performers, to all award providers, to all Patrons, and to all advertisers. However, with over 1400 entries, and several hundred more awards, patrons and advertisers, all with differing amounts, this will take some time. We sincerely appreciate your patience with us as we work through the complexities of the situation. Please do not flood us with enquires.
We hope to see all of you next year when we are confident things will have returned to normal.
Sincerely,
PNMF Board of Directors and Committee
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