Most events were wiped out in 2020

The show must (not) go on. Unless it’s a film shoot. Kelowna’s festival and special events calendar was a near total wipe-out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the notable exception of movie-making.

Eighty per cent of the 173 events scheduled for last year were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, city council will hear Monday.

“The absence of events affected much the Kelowna community including service providers, organizers, artists, facility operators, and accommodation and transportation industries,” Jim Gabriel, a city director, writes in a report.

“In addition, social connection was at an all-time low, triggering increased tensions, fear of visiting physical spaces and an overall negative effect on the community’s emotional well-being,” Gabriel states.

But film-making continued in Kelowna last year, and in fact the industry was busier than ever.

“Due to a combination of a proactive approach from the Okanagan Film Commission, collaboration from stakeholders such as WorkSafeBC, staff readiness, and the size of films being produced, the film industry was able to thrive in our community during a time when most others could not,” Gabriel says.

“Kelowna usually sees an average of eight films per year, but in 2020, there were a total of 13 films permitted by the city with even more being planned for 2021,” he says.

Some other events did take place under modified circumstances. The annual Pride Festival, which usually draws more than 4,000 people to its parade, held parades involving only spread-out bicyclists and people in cars. Participants had to pre-register, and provide their names and contact information in case there was a cluster or outbreak of COVID-19. But even that kind of controlled event would not be allowed under current health and safety protocols.