The public health crisis related to the Coronavirus now has global impacts on social and economic activities. Travel and mass entertainment are especially targeted. The cancellation of the Indian Wells tennis championship and the South by Southwest festival are just two examples of such consequences in North America.

In 2003, several members of the Hong Kong team could not travel to Montreal for the fireworks competition. It did not prevent the presentation of Hop Kee Pyrotechnics display, thanks to the involvement of the Canadian designer Patrice Guy and another team member (Wilson Mao) who was allowed to travel despite the SARS epidemic:
http://montreal-fireworks.com/cgi-bin/rep.cgi?head2003,hongkong03,tail 2003

The current situation however seems unprecedented. Will the 2020 Montreal International Fireworks Competition be impacted by this crisis? And how?

Let's use this thread to monitor the situation.

Fred

Allo Fred

Est-ce que tu est au courant du nom des firmes qui seront en compétition cette année?? Si non , tu as une idée du moment où le tout sera annoncé.
Espérons que l'événement aura lieu tel que prévu .

Merci de ton attention

Roger

Bonjour Roger,

Je n'ai aucune information officielle sur le nom des firmes en compétition cette année.

Voici les dates où l'horaire complet (dates, pays et firmes) a été publié par La Ronde depuis la création du forum (en anglais, car copié-collé d'un autre fil de discussion):

2019 - April 23, 2019
2018 - April 12, 2018
2017 - April 5, 2017
2016 - March 18, 2016
2015 - March 26, 2015
2014 - April 24, 2014
2013 - February 28, 2013
2012 - February 22, 2012
2011 - February 7, 2011
2010 - February 10, 2010
2009 - March 19, 2009
2008 - December 13, 2007
2007 - December 16, 2006
2006 - December 13, 2005
2005 - December 15, 2004
2004 - January 28, 2004

Fred

The way things are going, I suspect that all the summer festivals will be cancelled/postponed. It's going to be months before life is getting back to normal.

I hope I'm wrong ... but I have a feeling I'm right.

Paul.

My prediction is more optimistic.

I do believe that many (or most) of the current restrictions will be lifted by late June, and the 36th edition of the Montreal fireworks competition would be held in 2020. However, the line-up of participants would not be the one initially planned.

I anticipate an edition more “continental” than international. You may think about a line-up with more than one Canadian, and/or more than one American contestant. Some overseas countries may also be represented by companies which have outposts in North America as well.

No info from inside, just my prediction!

Fred

I'm not sure what to predict. The situation changes every hour so it seems.

However, all I'll say is hope everyone is managing well and staying healthy.

The sky becomes more cloudy and I feel less optimistic that I did one week ago.

On March 19, Martin Roy, the director of a lobby which advocates for the Quebec major and international events including L'International des feux Loto-Québec - and who used to manage La Ronde PR department in 2008-2010 - has published this op-ed. He pointed out some issues organizers of such events have to keep in mind in order to make the decision to cancel or to hold their activities, and when to make a such decision:

http://tourismexpress.com/nouvelles/les-grands-evenements-au-temps-de- la-covid-19-par-martin-roy?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_ campaign=newsletter-2020-03-19&utm_content=les-grands-evenements-au-te mps-de-la-covid-19-par-martin-roy

No major Montreal summer event has been cancelled so far. However, the Groupe CH (the hockey team, Francofolies, Jazz festival, and Evenko, which organizes several concerts in Parc Jean-Drapeau like Osheaga and Heavy MTL) has laid off 60% of its employees. Groupe Juste pour rire (Just for Laughs) has also laid off more than 75% of its staff. No announcement about these festivals, so far.

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/sports/1685801/hockey-lnh-canadien-montrea l-licenciements-groupe-ch-coronavirus-mise-pied

https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/humour/202003/26/01-5266523-juste-pour-ri re-met-a-pied-75-de-son-personnel.php

The scenario I have previously evoked - a “North American” edition of the Montreal International Fireworks Competition - seems jeopardized with the current trend in the United States. For diverse reasons, including the fragmentation of the health system and the polarization of the American society, I am afraid that our southern neighbour lacks the required leadership to fight the covid-19.

While I still believe that some sort of fireworks competition can be held in Montreal this summer, I now think that our event is seriously threatened for summer 2020.

Fred

I believe all festivals will be cancelled this year - we're in for another 12 weeks of lockdown so I think there's no way any event with large gatherings is going to take place this year.

We've had 35 good years of the fireworks competition. If it comes back next year, I believe it will be quite different as all sponsors adapt to the new reality our economy will be in for the next few years.

I hope I'm wrong ...

Paul.

La Ronde has just announced that opening day of the 2020 season is postponed, without specific date for now.

https://www.laronde.com/fr/larondefr/plan-your-visit/coronavirus-updat e

No official information about the fireworks competition yet.

Fred

Their website shows that they are looking May 23 as the opening, for now.

https://www.laronde.com/fr/larondefr/plan-your-visit/park-operating-sc hedule

Originally, opening day was May 9. That said, this can easily change.

I do think it is early still to officially declare the summer festival season cancelled. However, realistically, I think people will be nervous for quite some time about their health and La Ronde doesn't exactly resonate as a "clean environment".

Today, the city of Toronto has announced that all festivals and major public gatherings are forbidden until June 30th.

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1690020/toronto-festivals-rassemb lements-culture-annulation-toronto

A similar announcement by the city of Montreal would automatically impact the schedule of the 2020 Montreal International Fireworks Competition. La Ronde has not made any announcement about the event at this point.

Fred

Juste pour rire / Just for Laughs announces today that its 2020 edition, initially scheduled to begin on July 15, is postponed to debut on September 29.

https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/humour/202004/03/01-5267823-juste-pour-ri re-reporte-a-lautomne.php


As far as I know, it is the first major summer festival in Montreal to make a such announcement. According to the linked news story, other summer festivals are in “coordination mode” and discuss with the city of Montreal, and consider the option to move their activities later in 2020. We don't know, however, whether L'International des feux Loto-Québec takes part in these discussions.

Fred

Two other major festivals, les Francofolies and the Montreal International Jazz Festival, announce the cancellation of their 2020 edition.

Details appear on the Facebook page of these events.

Fred

The F1 was also talking about postponing until Autumn as well .... maybe we'll have the fireworks then? Though I have a lot of doubts now.

Paul.

I suspect that the warmer and, more especially, the humid weather will have some contribution in reducing the spread of this virus. However, this does not mean that things would suddenly be restored to normalcy by late-Spring/Summer, and so any benefit received by the warmer months would still be second to how well we can contain the virus ourselves.

Let's hope for the best!

Trav.