The Shake the Lake concert on Shuswap Lake has had success in previous years, but organizers were forced to pull the plug in 2020.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK / Reds Rentals and Marina
September 02, 2020 - 12:13 PM
The free concert on Shuswap Lake has been cancelled by health officials despite organizers' efforts to enforce social distancing measures.
A group of Shuswap businesses were set to host Shake the Lake, a floating concert that patrons could enjoy from the socially-distant safety of their boats, Sept. 5.
However, organizer Reds Rentals and Marina announced on Facebook they were forced to cancel the event.
An Interior Health spokesperson said in a statement the concert did not meet the provincial health requirements for events and could not proceed without an exemption from the provincial health officer.
"Shake on the Lake would be considered an event under the provincial health officer order for gatherings and events. If an event cannot meet requirements under this order (number of attendees, ability to track attendees, etc.), it cannot proceed without an exemption," a spokesperson for Interior Health said.
"While we have seen a stable number of new cases in (Interior Health) recently, there have been increases in other parts of B.C. that are concerning. As (provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry) said earlier this week: We are entering a new phase of B.C.’s COVID-19 response, and to be successful, we need to step back to allow us to safely move forward.”
The organizers of Shake the Lake submitted an appeal, but it was declined. Interior Health then informed the organizers the event should not go ahead.
— This story was correct at 3:06 p.m. Aug. 3. The original version said it was cancelled by Interior Health. In fact it was the provincial health officer who denied the event.
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