Like many other events in the province, the annual Summer Sizzler is a no-go for Humboldt this year. The yearly festival was cancelled following a vote of Humboldt City Council on April 27.

In the council’s first virtual meeting, the members voted unanimously on a recommendation to cancel the long standing event.

With the recent five-phase plan revealed by the province, it became evident that large gatherings were not going to be a possibility by the Sizzler’s traditional late June date. Mike Ulriksen, who heads up the city’s Leisure Services Department, had been in contact with locations like Estevan, Swift Current, Weyburn, Nipawin, and Moose Jaw, all who had put an end to their communities’ annual summer events. 

“The Summer Sizzler has been a staple of the community for as long as I’ve been here. So this is definitely not a recommendation that we took lightly, but it’s one that we believe is in the best interests of our city to make now,” stated Ulriksen.

The city’s decision was also impacted by the decision of West Coast Amusements from Chilliwack to indefinitely suspend their operations. The midway and carnival has been a strong draw, and their cancellation provided a major roadblock. The Uniplex centre itself is subject to provincial health orders, so the usual variety of events like the Hammerheads swim meet, the Strong Man Competition, and the ever popular Comic Con would also be out of the question.

Ulriksen reported that the Sizzler was slated to break even, so there would be no financial impact on the city. The hope is that summer leisure engagement with the community could be held with a virtual series of events. Last summer, the department hosted a successful scavenger hunt that utilized the parks and recreation areas to allow residents to explore the amenities that the city has to offer.

The mayor and councillors were disappointed and hopeful that circumstances would lead to other community events later in the summer. One of those upcoming events is the Canada Day Celebration. While the city is not prepared to officially cancel at this time, staff is monitoring what is happening in other communities and beginning to plan for the likelihood of another shift to a virtual event.