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Thursday, March 12, was the last Surrey folk dance evening and was also Marj’s 80th birthday party. The party was planned ahead, before we knew about the coming virus crisis. Events of more than 250 people were still allowed, but by the next week, the schools were shut down. Actually it was Spring Break which gave authorities time to think, but it didn’t take long to decide to close the schools. Now gatherings of pretty much any size are forbidden. So SIFD is cancelled.

Social distancing was starting to be recommended so we had our party and danced individual dances. Some people were worried and didn’t attend, including Marj, so we had her birthday party without her. See SIFD final newsletter here. Birthday party photos and movie are in the newsletter.

Tuesday, March 17, was going to be Burnaby Folk Dancers St. Patrick’s Day party. On Sunday, March 15, the reminder email went out and the party was going to happen… but it was finally cancelled on Monday, March 16. The situation was changing so fast! See BIFD final newsletter here.

Sunday dancing in my home also cancelled as of Sunday, March 15.

Over the weekend of March 6 to 9, 2020, the world changed. The COVID-19 virus was sweeping the world and “social distancing” became a common phrase. Before that weekend, washing hands and using hand sanitizer were the things to do; afterwards, self-isolation, quarantine, sequestering at home, whatever you want to call it was recommended. Any gatherings of more than 1000 people, then more than 250 people, then 100, then 50, then finally I heard today, no more than 5 people should gather together.

Folk dance events were being cancelled, including our fabulous Lyrids Folk Dance Festival! It is postponed an entire year. Will the world be back to normal then? We hope!

The weekend of March 6-9, 2020 was the Laguna Folk Dance Festival, and what an amazing festival it was. We were sheltered there from the reality growing in the world, particularly China, Italy, and Iran. Other countries soon followed. None of us there realized that the Laguna festival would be the last folk dance gathering for a very long time.

Hard to believe that was only 2 weeks ago.