Collaborative effort

Three Rivers' summer festivals cancelled but committees resolve growing rift

THREE RIVERS - While the municipality's summer festivals have all been cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19 strain), its planning committees are now on the same page following months of opposition, said the Three Rivers' events coordinator.

Cathleen MacKinnon addressed the Three Rivers council during its monthly meeting on May 11, held via video conference, speaking on behalf of the festivals, arts, culture and events (FACE) committee.

The Guardian reported in March that a rift was forming between Georgetown's Summer Days committee and the municipality due to the possibility of merging all of Three Rivers' summer festivals into one, town-spanning festival.

The FACE committee was formed shortly after. Not wanting to force collaboration, it suggested that Georgetown operate its festival independently while the rest of the communities merge, MacKinnon said during council's April 27 meeting.

But, following a meeting on May 7, the rift has been resolved and it turns out it was the result of miscommunication, she said.

"There was a misunderstanding. Georgetown Summer Days is interested in collaborating with the FACE committee."

Mayor Edward MacAulay, who sits on the FACE committee, said the issue was never about Georgetown's committee not wanting to collaborate, and most of the miscommunication came from council's end, he said.

"They felt a little pressure, and I think we caused that pressure," MacAulay said. "Everyone seems to be on the same page (now)."

Mallory Peters, co-chairwoman of Georgetown's committee, said part of the confusion stemmed from how the town's festival funding was worded as one item in Three Rivers' 2020⁄21 operational budget, leaving some to think the festivals were to be merged.

"Not everybody was clear as to what the budget was allowing," she said in a follow-up interview on May 12. "Everybody was kind of getting a mix of information."

In the end, her committee is willing to collaborate – such as by marketing the many festival's programming together – but she wants Georgetown's to take place over its own, exclusive weekend rather than have events co-occur across Three Rivers.

She's disappointed in the negative way her committee's stance has been portrayed throughout the confusion, she said.

"Like we were the bad kids who didn't want to get along with anyone."

Unfortunately, council also resolved to cancel all summer festivals due to the ongoing pandemic and the lack of a clear timeline for what public health measures will be in place by summer.

One advantage to this is that it allows the committee's to hit pause and strategize ways to collaborate for the 2021 festival season, Peters said.

"We can play off each other's strengths," she said. "So, there's more variety there for people."

Options to celebrate in some way this summer will also be explored, MacKinnon said.