Edmonton Heritage Days looking for donations after cancelling final day in wake of storm damage

One of Edmonton’s most popular festivals is now looking to the public for assistance after heavy rains and winds cancelled their busiest day.

The Edmonton Heritage Festival was forced to close its gates on Monday for the Heritage Day Holiday due to “extensive” damage following Sunday night’s storm which saw high winds along with heavy rain.

According to the festival news release, Monday, the third and final day of the event is one of the event’s biggest draws for revenue with much of the funds going back to multi-cultural centres.

To help offset the loss, organizors are hopeful in receiving donations from the public in order to keep the event alive for future years.

“We are trying to ensure that we are going through the pavilions that were hit the hardest and working with them to kind of help offset any losses,” according to Bruce Hogle, president of the Edmonton Heritage Festival Association (EHFA).

The City of Edmonton will also be working closely with the association as per Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, adding  “This festival is not going to go away anywhere. We have never seen this happen in the 51-year history of the festival. We’re going to work with the festival organizers to ensure that we come back next year stronger.”