September 17th, 2020 UPDATE:
For several weeks, the Pathway Executive and Facilitating Committees have been working in close contact with Showplace Performance Center with the goal of staging a scaled-down Induction Ceremony – which would abide by the latest Provincial, Municipal and overall restrictions and health requirements. The plan was for a small affair, with our inductees and a guest each, in an effort to keep everyone safe. It was always our intent to keep reviewing the plan against the latest information regarding COVID-19 caseloads, trends, and any changes in recommendations.
With that in mind, the Executive has made the difficult – but correct – decision, in concert with our hosts at Showplace, to postpone the ceremony. Should conditions warrant, we will revisit the issue when appropriate.
Here’s the official communique from The Pathway of Fame…
“Due to the rise of COVID 19 cases in Ontario and recent media updates from Premier Ford it has been decided by the Pathway of Fame executive in conjunction with the Showplace Performance Centre that this years Induction Ceremony scheduled for Saturday September 19th, will be put on hold.
This has not been an easy decision, but the health and safety of all those involved must take priority!”
Our original post from earlier this summer, is below.
Having now formally announced our slate of Inductees to The Peterborough and District Pathway of Fame for this year, we now look to our annual Induction ceremony in September…
Or do we?
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent Provincial, and Municipal guidelines regulating events for the foreseeable future, how could we even hope to honour our Inductees formally?
The short answer is, we can – with a vastly scaled-down event at Showplace Performance Centre.
But how is this possible? Showplace, in early July announced that it will remain dark until sometime in 2021. What’s more, with the fluidity of government response to a pandemic which could rear up into a second wave at any time, how could we make a plan for anything?
Should we even try?
We think we should, and we have – with a dramatically pared-down version of our normal pomp and circumstance. Regardless of how the summer goes on the pandemic front, this we know:
Showplace has generously made the venue available to us for a small event planned for September 19th that will not be open to the public. YourTV has generously agreed to attend, in order to record our event for posterity – however, no member of the public will be allowed onto, and into the premises except for the Inductees, a select number of immediate family, a few Pathway of Fame representatives, and dignitaries.
There will be no band this year. There will also be no post-ceremony luncheon downstairs in The Nexicom Studio. Our final number of people we’re allowed to have on premises that day will depend on many factors – not the least of which is the need for adequate physical distancing for those who are there, and the prevailing government and medical regulations and recommendations that are current as of September 19th.
If conditions warrant, we may have to cancel, and we will if necessary. The health, and safety of our inductees and their family members, Showplace staff, and anyone else required to be in the building for even such a small event, trumps all else.
However, we feel confident in planning for a small, intimate and appropriate event that will be recorded for broadcast by YourTV and hopefully might also be live-steamed for anyone unable to attend.
You may still have questions – and for those we turn to Emily Martin, the delightful and hard-working General Manager of Showplace.
Hi Emily,
Q: Why, and how can Showplace host such an event when the theatre has announced it will remain closed until next year?
A: By not opening the event to the General Public, it makes it much easier for us to control the social distancing that will be needed to undertake this sort of event. Of course, we thank the Pathway of Fame committee for being so understanding in this current state of events. The fact that we are able to control who comes and goes from the building will make it much easier for us to undertake this.
Q: How is it possible to maintain adequate physical distancing? Will there be two people to a row, in order to allow for adequate space to, say, take a washroom break for example? Will washrooms at Showplace be available?
A: We will work with the local health unit as well as provincial regulations to determine the necessary physical distancing guidelines. We will then have staff to direct guests to where they should sit. We will also mark the floors to enable proper distancing when using the restrooms. We will also mark one door into the theatre as enter only and the other door exit only to enhance physical distancing.
Q: Will masks need to be worn inside? Will their use be encouraged, or remain optional?
A: Yes. In keeping with the recent directive by Peterborough Public Health, masks will be required fashion when in the building, but can be removed for those speaking from the podium. The Peterborough and District Pathway of Fame will provide masks for all of our guests and attendees.
Q: It is assumed that numbers of people inside, seating, spacing for physical distancing and allowance for movement will be tightly controlled, and undertaken in accordance with the prevailing government regulations, and medical recommendations?
A: Absolutely. We are working closely with the Pathway of Fame committee to ensure that this is controlled.
Q: Will such an event require clearance from the local Health Unit, or could they simply provide us with guidance?
A: We will work directly with the Public Health Unit to ensure that we are in accordance with all guidelines.
Q: What is the latest opportunity to make changes to numbers, and protocol without cancelling the event altogether, in the event of a late-summer surge?
A: We will work closely with the Pathway of Fame committee and if necessary will cancel no later than one week prior to the scheduled event.
Q: Can Showplace offer any other insights, guidance, or assurances?
A: We can assure the attendees that Showplace takes safety and security very seriously and will work with the Pathway Committee to ensure that the space is well sanitized, safe and ready for use on September 19 (as long as there is not a second surge).
Q: Will guests be allowed to move freely, or will they need to be constantly chaperoned?
A: We will work with the Pathway Committee. A lot of this depends on how many attendees we will be able to welcome and we will work backwards from there to determine how much time we will require to get people safely and efficiently into the theatre (as of August 2nd, the limit is 50 attendees in the Showplace venue, excluding staff). We ask that guests try to remain in their seats as much as they possibly can to enable proper social distancing.
Thank you, Emily. We look forward to seeing our inductees and guests in an admittedly economic, but celebratory event nonetheless on Saturday, September 19th. Teresa Kaszuba of Global News Morning Peterborough will be our erstwhile Master of Ceremonies this year – and in keeping with the recent masking directive from Peterborough Public Health, masks will be worn by all attendees when in the building. However, they won’t be necessary for those speaking as part of the program.
Please enjoy a safe, and restful remainder of your summer from all of us at The Peterborough and District Pathway of Fame.