Submitted by Horse Council BC, RE "An important message to our members"

March 12, 2020

To our valued members,

We are sending this message to let you know that as of March 10, 2020, Horse Council BC has made the difficult decision to cancel three major upcoming events due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns: 

• The BC Equine Education Summit (BCEES);
• The Spring Board of Directors March 28, 2020 meeting;
• The Annual General Meeting (AGM) has been postponed, and will be held following the November Board of Directors Meeting.

The BC Equine Education Summit (BCEES), scheduled for April 24 - 26, 2020 in Abbotsford, had speakers coming from around the world (Germany, Australia, Denmark, Kentucky, Michigan, Alberta and Ontario). Unfortunately, there is great uncertainty of possible travel restrictions imposed by their companies, and/or by their countries of origin.

The decision to postpone the Annual General Meeting, to take place after the Fall Director’s Meeting November 7, 2020, was not taken lightly. It was felt attempting to host this event by conference call or web-conference with a group of 30 to 40 would not allow participants to engage with each other in a meaningful way.

After checking the BC Societies Act and the HCBC bylaws, we are confident that we will still be compliant with our obligations to report to members. An Annual General Meeting must be held at least once in every calendar year.

The situation with COVID-19 is evolving daily, and leaves us uncertain about how things will develop in the coming weeks. We have heard concerns from directors, speakers and attendees about the uncertainty of travel during this time.

Aside from the fear of bringing COVID-19 back, and infecting family and friends, people fear the risk of quarantine, or having travel restrictions imposed by their companies or by their countries of origin. We need to ensure that Horse Council BC is not putting the health and safety of our members and communities at risk.

We apologize for any disruption to your schedule that these cancellations may cause.  We will still be circulating the Annual Report to members in the next few weeks.  If you have question or concerns please feel free to contact the office directly toll free at 1-800-345-8055 or at communication@hcbc.ca.

Sincerely, Lisa Laycock - HCBC, Executive Director, www.hcbc.ca

Photo: Canstock/LiviuP