New provincial COVID-19 restrictions announced yesterday have prompted the organizers of Santa’s Breakfast to cancel the event.
The 21st annual Santa’s Breakfast had been changed to accommodate health and safety precautions.
The event is always held at the Prestige Hudson Bay Lodge in Smithers and hotel manager Angie Eccelstone said it was an easy decision to make to go ahead with the event, the hard part was how to figure it out how to have it safely.
“The only option we could have for that many people was to do a drive-thru,” she said. “Last year about 700 people came, during a pandemic that is impossible. We want to put everyone’s safety first.”
There were to be two stations, one for dropping off food donations or money for the local food bank and then people would have carried on to the next station for a to-go meal.
Ecclestone added everyone wanted to help and come together and be safe at the same time.
“Not having this event would be significant loss for the community, especially during this time when more people are using the food bank,” she said.