Pandemic-battered Ottawa tourism businesses say the cancellation of all in-person events at Winterlude is yet another blow to the industry as it tries to recover from the catastrophic effects of COVID-19.
The Department of Canadian Heritage, which runs the popular winter festival, said Friday it is shifting all programming online due to the ongoing pandemic. This year’s virtual events are slated to take place from Feb. 5-21.
In a statement, Canadian Heritage officials said they are looking at “innovative ways” to allow festival-goers “to express their love of winter in a virtual environment.” The department said more details would be announced in the next couple of weeks.