Antigonish Highland Games street parade; CIGO file photo
The mayor of Antigonish says organizers showed great foresight cancelling the 2021 Antigonish Highland Games.
Organizers say they came to the decision at their March board meeting after careful consideration of current public health restrictions, and their expectations of the rules that will be in place in July, when the event traditionally held.
They say they’re confident the games, the oldest continuous highland games in the world outside of Scotland, as they know them will be a reality in 2022, and they’re already in the planning stages for their return.
After March’s regular council town council meeting, Laurie Boucher, Antigonish’s mayor, said the decision makes sense.
“We have no idea what’s to come in the next few months, and there’s so much planning that goes into the Highland Games- it’s one of the premier events in our town,” she said. “It would be a hard decision to make, but a necessary one- I do commend the board for making that decision so early, so people can prepare.”
It’s the second year in a row the event has been cancelled.
The cancellation of the 2020 Antigonish Highland Games, which was replaced by a “virtual” version, was just the second time the event was cancelled, the first being the First World War.
