At the March 12, 2020 daily briefing by the BC Health Ministry on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic, BC Minister of Health Adrian Dix directed all event organizers to cancel any gathering larger than 250 people effective immediately.
As of today we are directing all event organizers to cancel any gathering larger than 250ppl.
We are recommending against all non-essential travel outside of Canada, including to the United States.
Anyone choosing to travel is required to self-isolate for 14 days upon return.
— Adrian Dix (@adriandix) March 12, 2020
Accordingly, BCPA has regretfully cancelled the Annual Gathering on April 10 & 11 at North Delta Secondary School.
In light of this decision, senior BCPA officials believe it is very important to consult major stakeholders of the Annual Gathering on its future for this year.
Thus, BCPA has scheduled two online meetings of Annual Gathering major stakeholders this weekend to discuss and gain stakeholders opinions on rescheduling the Annual Gathering to a weekend in September or not conducting the event at all in 2020, and stakeholders thoughts on how COVID-19 is affecting bands planning for outdoor highland games this season.
The major stakeholders include
- music and administrative leaders of competition bands of the BCPA Pipe Bands Leadership Forum (bands in BCPA region)
- music and administrative leaders of bands from outside the BCPA region which entered the 2020 Annual Gathering
- senior invited adjudicators for the 2020 Annual Gathering
- Annual Gathering organizing committee members
The meeting invitations for the pipe bands leadership have been emailed to the contact officially registered with BCPA for BCPA memberships and competition entries.
If your band has not yet received the invitation email, please notify comments@archive.bcpipers.org If your band has received the meeting invitation, please promptly communicate it to the requested people and arrange to have at least one music or administrative leader participate in one of the meeting.
We will keep you updated on the results of these discussions and the path forward.
Thank you for your continued assistance in navigating with us these fast changing circumstances.
Rob MacNeil
President
BC Pipers’ Association
