B.C. festivals seek ways to recover from wildfires

As festival season comes to a close with the end of summer, event organizers in B.C.'s Interior are tryingto recover from cancelled festivals and diminished tourism after months of wildfires.

Julie Fowler, the executive director for Island Mountain Arts, runs the ArtsWells Festival in the Cariboo every summer. After emergency meetings with RCMP, firefighters and the mayor of Wells, her art festival was able to continue, despite nearby fires, but it was a close call.

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"It was a bit of a miracle," Fowler told CBC's host of Radio WestSarah Penton."But still, it was a day-by-day thing right up to the festival. Certainly, I gained my nerves of steel this summer."

Fewer people than usual showed up, Fowler said, but she considers herself one of the lucky ones.

Other festivals were not so fortunate. In the Cariboo region alone, Fowler said, five festivals were cancelled due to wildfires.

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Festival cancellations have a big impacton the community, affecting everyone from small businesses that rely on tourism to local artists, Fowlersaid. Refunding tickets can be a massive economic hit and stop festivals in their tracks for years to follow.

Insurance plan

Fowler said a relief fund is needed to help protect festivals from emergencies like wildfires and other extreme weather conditions.

Sheis exploring the possibility of setting up an emergency relief fund essentially a pooled insurance fund with other festival organizers.

"Can we create an insurance fund amongst ourselves tack on an extra five dollars to our tickets to create a fund that can help any of the festivals if they facethese kind of things?" she said.

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Fowler said these kind of questions will discussed at the third annual Northern Exposure Conference next month, when music leaders and festivals organizers will gather to share stories and swap advice.

The Northern Exposure Conference runs from Oct.13 to 15, 2017.

To listen to the full interview with Julie Fowler, click on the audio link below:

With files from Radio West.