Cape Breton venues brace for worst as cancellations stack up
'Hopefully we can sort our way through it,' says Centre 200 manager
Venues that host large events in Cape Breton are wondering when they'll be able to reopen as Nova Scotia begins to ease COVID-19 restrictions.
Two of the municipality's larger venues for concerts, Centre 200 and the Savoy Theatre, are in the midst of cancelling and rebooking shows.
But it's unclear how far into the future events should be postponed.
Paul MacDonald, manager of Centre 200, said most events leading into the summer are cancelled, and the status of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is uncertain for the fall.
'Arenas of this type will be the last to reopen'
MacDonald said he believes public health restrictions are going to impact venues like Centre 200 and other venues across the country.
"Arenas of this type will be the last to reopen," MacDonald said. "I think we're going to be at the end of this open period. Hopefully, we can sort our way through it."
He said Centre 200 is in decent shape financially, but he worries other arenas or concert venues in the province could suffer greatly with extended closures.
For Centre 200, events through the summer and into the fall are being cancelled or rescheduled, which MacDonald said adds another layer of difficulty.
He said he is unsure if events in large arenas will be able to happen into 2021, making it troublesome to pick a date for cancelled events.
In Glace Bay, the Savoy Theatre may have no one on stage until next year.
It recently had to cancel numerous productions set for this year due to the pandemic.
Cinderella, a tribute to Rita McNeil called Dear Rita, and the popular Cape Breton Summertime Revue have all been cancelled.
Six staff laid off
The theatre had to lay off six staff members.
Pam Leader, the theatre's executive director, said she hopes there will be Christmas shows.
"The way this is going, we will be the last people back to work," she said
But the theatre is making plans for 2021 and it will mark its centennial in 2027.
"We're not going to be flourishing, but we're going to make it to 100 years," Leader said.