The PFR organizing committee worked very hard on adjusting our plans in the context of covid-19. We planned numerous changes in order to minimize the risk of transmission and exposure, and to comply with current restrictions. Those included shortening the schedule to reduce the duration of contact, reducing the amount of shared volunteer accommodation, moving all meetings to online, limiting access to the service park, limiting numbers at each spectator point or possibly eliminating them entirely, eliminating the finish party/awards banquet, and other measures.

We consulted with past volunteers to gauge the practicality of running the event under those conditions, and consulted with past competitors to gauge the likely entry level. Those consultations suggested that it would be a stretch, but we could probably get sufficient volunteers to run the event safely, and that the likely entry level would leave us significantly short on budget. Both of those consultations were done prior to the recent up-tick in case numbers in BC, so are probably on the optimistic side.

Based on the event being maybe almost just possible, and following the “press on regardless” spirit of rally, we consulted with the office of the provincial health officer, to gauge whether the proposed changes would be sufficient to get an exemption to the 50-person mass gathering limit. Based on that consultation and our own assessment of the situation, we have determined that there is no way to proceed with this year’s event while complying with the letter or the spirit of the current restrictions, and no realistic expectation of those restrictions being loosened between now and the scheduled date of the rally. We feel that the only responsible course of action is to cancel this year’s event and start planning for 2021.

We are looking into the possibility of doing a much smaller event, such as a single-stage test day for local teams only, and will post information if and when that becomes possible.

Paul Westwick

Organizer, Pacific Forest Rally