Organizers for the popular Honda Celebration of Light say the event has been cancelled indefinitely due to funding issues.
The event is held in Vancouver’s English Bay every summer and consists of fireworks shows with teams from around the world competing.
“After many months of outreach to governments and the business community, the Vancouver Fireworks Festival Society (VFFS) has made the difficult decision to cancel the Honda Celebration of Light indefinitely,” the organization said in a statement.
The festival has faced challenges due to rising production costs, the elimination of federal funding, a reduction in provincial support and declining private sector investment, organizers said.
“We have had a reduction of government funding at both levels, both provincially and federally. We lost federal funding altogether this year, and our provincial funding has been cut by 65 per cent going into next year, so combined, those two equal a $650,000 swing in government support for the event,” executive producer Paul Runnals said in July.
At the same time, Runnals argued the event draws hundreds of thousands of people to the region, contributing $4 million to economic activity every year.
“For 33 years, this event has been a cornerstone of Vancouver’s summer — a shared experience
that brought families, friends, and visitors together from across the province and around the
world,” Michael McKnight, co-chair of VFFS said in a statement.
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“Ending that tradition is incredibly painful, but we simply can’t continue.”
Organizers said they have exhausted every option to keep the festival going.
“Our hope is that by being transparent about the financial realities, that governments and partners might step up to create a long-term solution that allows the Honda Celebration of Light to return stronger and more sustainable at some point in the future,” Runnals said in a statement.
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