Supply chain challenges prompt cancellation of annual Vancouver car show

Organizers of the 2023 Vancouver International Auto Show say supply chain issues in the automobile sector have led them to cancel their annual event in March, which would have celebrated the 100th edition of the show first held in 1920.

This is the fourth time the New Car Dealers Association of B.C. has had to cancel its event, according to the association's president. In 2020, the event was cancelled two weeks before the show due to pandemic restrictions. It was cancelled again in 2021 and 2022.

"It's still a painful, painful decision ... but regrettably, we've had to make the decision yet again to cancel [because] of the lingering impacts of the COVID pandemic, the resulting supply chain challenges, and many other factors," Blair Qualey, the association's president told CBC News.

He said the ongoing global supply chain challenges mean many car makers and distributors are not able to commit to participating in many North American auto shows, including Vancouver's.

"We couldn't put on a show that we'd be proud of with a good representation of what's available in the sector," he said.

Qualey says the annual Vancouver auto show draws over 115,000 people every year and is an opportunity for manufacturers and car dealers to showcase their new models and kick off their summer sales.