Vancouver Christmas attractions cancelled after COVID-19 restrictions extended

There are sure signs of the Christmas season in Vancouver, but some popular holiday attractions are now a no-go after BC’s COVID-19 restrictions were extended this week.

While the events had previously been suspended following the original order in November, the Vancouver Park Board announced on Monday that due to the extension on the restrictions, both the Bright Nights Christmas Train and VanDusen Festival of Lights have been cancelled for this year.

#VanParkBoard is sorry to announce that, due to new provincial health orders, we are cancelling Bright Nights Christmas Train & VanDusen Festival of Lights. Tickets will automatically be refunded through TicketLeader. Refunds could take up to 10 days to be processed. pic.twitter.com/xmwa4km9Vz

— Vancouver Park Board (@ParkBoard) December 8, 2020

The provincial restrictions around public gatherings and events and people visiting each other’s households will be in effect until midnight of January 8, 2021.

“I’m also extending my order of December 4, with respect to prohibiting all gatherings and events… to midnight of January 8, 2021,” said Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry on Monday.

• See also:
  • Here are all the events suspended under BC’s new public health orders
  • Household gathering restrictions now apply to all of BC
  • All community gatherings and events banned in BC

Henry said the January 8 timeline was chosen because while officials are seeing “an impact” as a result of the original orders, “it’s not yet at a point where we can let off on some of the restrictions that we have in place.”

The next incubation period for the virus, she furthered, “will take us to just a few days before the Christmas holidays… and we wanted people to recognize that this is something we’re going to need to stick with until into the new year.”