Following a meeting Monday night, organizers of the Quesnel Billy Barker Days decided to cancel this year’s event, including the rodeo, that was scheduled for this weekend.
The City of Quesnel made its position clear in a memo that was sent out on Sunday night.
Mayor Bob Simpson says there were several reasons they felt it should be cancelled.
1. We don’t want unnecessary traffic on our highways at this time, particularly highway 97.
2. We do not have the ability to support the events with our emergency response…that’s police, fire and health.
3. Billy Barker Days is one of the biggest loads on our emergency room when you think about the rodeo, when you think about crash to pass, you think about people having too much fun during the Billy Barker Days events.
4. We felt it was inappropriate when the weather and the air quality is so unsettled just now and we reminded people that the current massive amount of fires that we have occurred as a result of a 45 minute to a one hour weather event and that can happen at any time.
5. We said this is not an appropriate time of the city of Quesnel to be having a party while 100 mile house is fully evacuated and the City of Williams Lake is n an alert, it’s just so inappropriate.
Billy Barker Days have never been cancelled before since it began back in the 1970’s.
With files from George Henderson mycariboonow.com
