The Town of Sylvan Lake is canceling the Ice Dragon Boat Races and the Polar Dip event for the weekend of Feb. 16 to Feb. 18.
Communications officer Jared Waldo said the difficult decision came after the town team consulted with the event organizers.
“Our concern is the safety of event attendees, participants, and all users of the lake. The ice in the event area isn’t as thick as it needs to be to maintain the weight and traffic for everyone attending.”
The decision also needed to be made soon for those traveling from other locations to attend the event.
“While the weather could change in our favour over the coming week, a decision needed to be made to accommodate those making the long journey from across Canada and the Northern US to participate in the Ice Dragon Boat races; many of which were planning to depart for Sylvan Lake this weekend,” Waldo said.
All the activities included in the Ice Dragon Boat Festival have been postponed.
“The activities, along with the Polar Dip, will tentatively join the Meltdown event on March 23,” he said.
However, while some of the other activities will tentatively join the Meltdown event in March, the Ice Dragon Boat Races will not return this year.
“The Ice Dragon Boat Races will be canceled for 2024 with plans to bring them back in 2025,” Waldo said.