A lukewarm response from prospective new volunteers has spelled the demise of the Qualicum Beach Fire & Ice Street Festival.
The festival’s volunteer committee announced late Saturday night, Feb. 17, that “after a great deal of thought and consideration” the event would be cancelled after 25 years, as of 2018.
The notice was shared via social media on the Qualicum Beach Fire & Ice Street Festival Facebook page.
In the written notice, the committee thanked the many individuals and businesses who have supported and participated in the event, which combined ice carving with a chili cook-off each spring.
“However, it requires a great deal of volunteer hours (and) community and financial support to put on,” the statement read. “Over the last few years it has gotten progressively more difficult to ensure this non-profit event meets up to its expectations.”
Citing the success of the 2017 Fire & Ice festival, organizers said they “would rather go out on a high than a less-than-stellar day.”
In the cancellation notice, the festival committee suggested that Fire & Ice may have run its course, and left the door open for another community event to step in and take its place.
The committee directed all questions and comments to the Town of Qualicum Beach.
Town of Qualicum Beach corporate administrator Heather Svensen said Fire & Ice is not a town-run event, so the town wouldn’t have any information about the committee.
— NEWS staff and Fire & Ice release