Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival cancelled due to western Manitoba floods

This year’s edition of Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival is cancelled as a result of flooding in western Manitoba.

The decision was made due to intense flooding and local states of emergency being declared across Manitoba’s Parkland region, including in Dauphin, festival organizers said in a news release Thursday.

The annual celebration of Ukrainian culture is hosted in the city of Dauphin and was scheduled for July 30 to Aug. 2. People who have already purchased or donated tickets for next month’s event can use them for next year or can request a refund.

The Selo Festival Site was not flooded, but the Dauphin Regional Health Centre was. The facility, and its attached emergency department, remain closed and nearby emergency clinics are outside the city.

All 54 patients were safely evacuated last week after losing power when the basement flooded.

“Emergency health-care services have been relocated to rural communities more than 30 minutes away, creating significant challenges in providing timely medical care for our large event,” the message shared on behalf of the festival’s board of directors said.

The festival began in 1965 and celebrated its 60th anniversary in Dauphin last year.