Music

Sled Island in jeopardy as Calgary faces mass flooding and city-wide evacuations

by Tyler Munro

UPDATED: Sled Island organizers have announced that due to safety concerns over Calgary’s ongoing state of emergency they’ve been forced to cancel the festival’s remaining events. If you’re in or around the area, please be safe.

They released the following statement on their website regarding the announcement:

In light of the current emergency situation, and in line with our commitment to the safety of festival-goers and the citizens of Calgary, all reamining Sled Island festival events are cancelled.

We have been fortunate to be able to hold two successful days of the festival and we thank attendees for their enthusiasm and flexibility.

In terms of our policy on passes and tickets, we ask for patience and understanding until we are able to address this in the days to come. We realize that there will be many questions to be answered from festival-goers, artists and partners. The Sled Island office in Mission has been evacuated and we are operating with limited resources.

Our commitment to the safety of the citizens of Calgary remains paramount. Please take care of your friends and family who may require assistance and stay safe.

image via CBC

As Calgary is faced with severe storms and the city’s worst floods in decades, its annual Sled Island music festival is in jeopardy. And while it is still planned to continue through the weekend, city wide, mayor endorsed evacuations have left the next few days up in the air.

According to the festival’s website, Sled organizers are humbled and grateful by the “understanding of crowds” and the “go-with-it attitude of [their] artists,” but as it stands can’t confirm what will happen from here. They say they’re working with the city to figure out what they can safely accomplish and plan to have more information out soon.

Still, the storm has led to a few cancellations already. Rightly so.

Among the cancelled are bands like White Lung and KEN Mode, who today released a statement explaining why they had to pull the plug.

“It is quickly becoming too late for us to make it there in time, and too expensive of a gamble for us to take if the show is canceled,” said the band on Facebook, reminding fans that they’ll be back in the fall.

Chunks of Calgary are still reporetdly without power, with city officials urging residents to avoid the downtown core. As of early this morning, Calgary and its neighouring cities are still considered to be in a state of local emergency. Be sure to follow Calgary City News for updates as well as Sled Island on Twitter and at their website.