SDCCS 2020 and Closed Selection events cancelled

ScotDance Canada Championship Series 2020 Advisory

First and foremost, on behalf of the Office Bearers, Board of Directors and Independent Members of ScotDance Canada, I would like to thank our highland dancing community for the show of support during these volatile and difficult times we are all facing with respect to the COVID-19 Virus pandemic. As we continue to navigate personally and as a community through these unprecedented times, it is heartwarming to be involved with a dancing community that has risen above, showing strength, compassion and resolve.

The day after registration opened for the SDCCS 2020, the Ministry of Public Affairs in British Columbia declared a provincial state of emergency in British Columbia. Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick are also under state of emergencies. British Columbia showed 40 new cases of the virus confirmed as of March 19th and has the highest number of confirmed cases in Canada. While other provinces have much lower confirmed cases, it has been made abundantly clear by government health advisories, that we have not yet seen the worst.

The SDC Emergency Crisis Task Force Committee developed a contingency plan template for our selection meets leading up to the Canadian Championships in the event these meets were not able to continue under the current crowd-sizing restrictions implemented by government health agencies. The template was to be presented March 20th to our selection meet organizers. It became crystal clear late last night, that through all our best intensions and efforts to preserve not only the Canadian Championship event, but the SDCCS event as a whole, that our sole responsibility to our dancers, professionals, organizers, dance parents and volunteers within the highland dancing
community as well as the general public supersedes all else. The increasing impact to families has been astronomical where jobs have been affected in varying degrees. We cannot be in a position where a highland dancing event takes precedence over the physical, emotional or financial well-being of our dance community and general public at large.
The needle is not moving in the desired direction with respect to the containment of this virus, with no foreseeable timelines as to improvement. With this being said, I am both saddened and disappointed to announce that the SDCCS 2020 event will be cancelled. This is a necessary move as an organization, in the paramount interest of health and safety protections for our highland dancing community as well as those outside of our community.

We would like to extend our gratitude to the SDCCS 2020 organizing committee for all their hard work to date, where they have showed true commitment, enthusiasm and professionalism. This has been an extremely difficult time for the organizing committee. Please be aware, that you have the support, not only from your peers, but from the highland dancing community as a whole.

For those who registered for the SDCCS 2020 event, refunds will be processed. Please be patient with the refund process—we will complete this as efficiently as possible.

I would ask that we all do our part in the fight to contain and defeat this pandemic, respecting government health agency advisories, and that by doing so, we hopefully will not have to face a situation like this in years to come. Please take care of yourselves and loved ones. Now, more than ever, we need to come together showing support, empathy, kindness and compassion for one another. Continue to reach out consistently to one another as this will be our strength going forward. We have and will continue to rise above all adversity.

Cheryl Rafter
President, ScotDance Canada