March 13, 2020

General Release
From: Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Association
Regarding: Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), Ottawa Valley Farm Show

Good Morning:
It is with great sadness that the Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Association has decided to cancel the
Ottawa Valley Farm Show in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. After a risk assessment as
recommended by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the executive came to the difficult but
unanimous decision of cancelling the show, with full support of the board of directors.
Our top priority, as always, remains the health and safety of our exhibitors, visitors, volunteers,
directors, and the community at large. The decision comes after Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr.
David Williams, advised that gatherings of more than 1,000 people be cancelled or postponed. This is
about protecting people and family. The board has taken responsibility to assess and minimize the risk
to all involved in the show. The cancellation of the Ottawa Valley Farm Show follows the cancellation of
events and gatherings locally and across the nation.
We are currently developing a strategy to manage the impact this decision has on our exhibitors,
visitors, vendors, and volunteers. We have not made this decision lightly, as we have valued and long
standing commitments and relationships. We do believe that this is the correct course of action given
global public health implications at this time.

We thank you all for you support during this difficult time, and we look forward to seeing you at the
Ottawa Valley Farm Show 2021, March 9-11.

Sincerely,

Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Association