After an uninterrupted 50-year run, Sea Cavalcade in Gibsons went on hiatus in 2019, with the Sea Cavalcade Society citing difficulty filling volunteer positions as one of the reasons.
But now, after a well-attended planning session last week, a new organizing committee is forming to work on the return of Sea Cavalcade for 2020.
Gibsons resident Phill Murray is head of the committee and he told Coast Reporter that he was delighted with the turnout at the first meeting, especially from younger people, who wanted to keep Sea Cavalcade going.
“You don’t miss something until it’s gone and I think a lot of people in the room had the same feeling,” he said.
Murray said the discussions so far have been around general issues like how many days Sea Cav should run and prioritizing which events to hold.
And yes, fireworks are high on the list. “That’s always been one of my highlights,” Murray said.
Murray said the Sea Cavalcade Society has built a solid organization with procedures based on years of experience that the new organizing committee can draw on.
He said with the committee executive starting to take shape, they’re looking for people to act as event coordinators and a corps of volunteers for general duties. Murray said they’re also hoping to get high school students involved as a way to get their volunteer community service credits.
The committee is holding its next planning meeting at 7 p.m. on Nov. 26 at the Kin Hut at Dougall Park in Gibsons. “We hope that people can come out and join us in making the Sea Cavalcade a success for 2020,” Murray said.
