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Cancellation of the 10th anniversary of the Steveston Dragon Boat Festival

VANCOUVER, BC – May 15, 2020 – 12:30 PM – Dragon Boat BC announces today that the 10th anniversary of the Steveston Dragon Boat Festival is cancelled for 2020.

“Our staff are deeply saddened by the Steveston Dragon Boat Festival’s cancellation, as it was celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and had always been a highly anticipated end-of-summer celebration for our community,” says Alexis Gall, General Manager, Dragon Boat BC. “Nevertheless, in line with BC’s Restart Plan and our core principals, we recognize our duty to put the health and safety of the community and our racers first.” 

The Festival welcomes over 2,000 racers a year to historic Steveston Village and Imperial Landing Park in Richmond, and has been a mainstay of the Imperial Landing community since the area was built. These racers come from across British Columbia and Washington state to mark the region’s last dragon boat race of the season.

At this time, the Festival has implemented the same refund and transfer policy as all other Dragon Boat BC races. Registered teams may request a full transfer of their registration fees from 2020 to a future year until the end of 2020, or may request a refund of 75% of their registration fee until June 1, 2020. Like many other event organizers, the event incurs significant costs in the months leading up to the Festival. Instructions on next steps will be emailed out to team captains, managers, and administrators. A FAQ to assist racers is linked here.

The Festival recognizes and thanks the first responders and essential workers who have served the community and helped protect our community against the brunt of COVID-19. The Festival notes the importance of continuing the fight against COVID-19 as British Columbia begins to reopen. For links to information on mitigating the risk of spreading COVID-19, emergency government funding measures, and ways to contribute to the fight against COVID-19, please visit dragonboatbc.ca/covid19. 

About the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society
Community, culture and competition, all in one boat. The Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society (dba Dragon Boat BC) is the non-profit operator of North America’s flagship dragon boat festival – the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival, and runs Dragon Zone Paddling Club – Canada’s largest paddling club. Through their All Access and youth programs, supported by the Milton K. Wong Legacy Project, the Society makes sport accessible regardless of barriers to participation.

Media Contact
Dragon Boat BC Main Office
Email: info@dragonboatbc.ca
Please note that the office remains closed, and is only able to take questions via email.

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