Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre church opens to public on Palm Sunday

Stephen Farrell
·1 min read
Palm Sunday marked in Jerusalem amid COVID-19 restrictions, for second year running

By Stephen Farrell

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - In scenes very different from last year, Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre opened to the public on Palm Sunday, allowing Christians to attend mass at the start of Holy Week on the site where they believe Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead.

With more than half the population of Israel having received two vaccine doses, coronavirus restrictions were eased to allow small congregations to gather with social distancing measures in place.

The mood was celebratory as scores of Roman Catholics passed through the huge wooden doors of the church that is the global focus of the most important festival in the Christian calendar.

"Last year was a terrible Easter, without people, closed doors. This year is much better, the door is open, we don't have a lot of people but we feel more hopeful that things will become better," the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, told Reuters as he emerged from the church flanked by clerics and worshippers carrying palm fronds.

"The message of Easter is life and love, despite all the signs of death, corona, pandemic, whatever, we believe in the power of love and life," Pizzaballa said.

Under Israeli COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings, the patriarch later led worshippers wearing face masks and holding palm and olive branches in a Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives to the Old City.

Palm Sunday commemorates the day the gospels say Jesus rode into Jerusalem and was hailed by the people, only to be crucified five days later.

This year, Roman Catholics celebrate Easter on April 4 and Orthodox Christians nearly a month later, on May 2.

(Reporting by Stephen Farrell; Editing by Alex Richardson and Philippa Fletcher)

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  • Prosecutor: Missing student killed during 1996 rape attempt

    LOS ANGELES — The suspect in the 1996 disappearance of California college student Kristin Smart killed her while trying rape her in his dorm room and his father helped hide the body, the San Luis Obispo County district attorney said Wednesday. District Attorney Dan Dow said prosecutors would seek to prove Paul Flores tried to sexually assault Smart by showing prior sex acts he engaged in and crimes they believe he committed in more recent years. Prosecutors filed a first-degree murder charge against Paul Flores, 44, and an accessory after murder charge against his father, Ruben Flores, 80, for helping him conceal Smart’s body, which has never been found. The two were arrested Tuesday after years of investigation and a search last month using ground-penetrating radar and cadaver dogs at the elder Flores' home that led to evidence connected to Smart’s death, authorities said. They didn't revealed what was found. Smart, 19, of Stockton, was last seen May 25, 1996, with Flores while returning to her dorm at California Polytechnic State University campus in San Luis Obispo after an off-campus party. She was inebriated at the time, and Flores, a fellow freshman, had offered to walk her home. Dow revealed that investigators think Flores killed Smart in his dorm room during the Memorial Day weekend when many students had left the campus. Investigators, who launched a renewed search Tuesday at his father’s property in nearby Arroyo Grande, believe they know where the body was buried but have not yet found it or disclosed the location. Paul and Ruben Flores are in jail and scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court. A lawyer for Paul Flores declined to comment on the arrest or charges. Harold Mesick, a lawyer for Ruben Flores, told the Los Angeles Times his client is “absolutely innocent.” Paul Flores has remained mum through the years, invoking his Fifth Amendment right to not answer questions before a grand jury and in a deposition for the lawsuit brought against him. Susan Flores, the mother of Paul and estranged wife of Ruben, broke years of public silence last month in an interview with KSBY-TV in which she said her family had no role in the death and her son had been a scapegoat. “They keep trying to find the answers with us and they keep failing because the answers are not here,” she said. “We have no responsibility for her disappearance and what happened to that young woman.” Susan Flores hung up the phone when contacted by The Associated Press on Tuesday. The criminal charges include a disclosure that prosecutors intend to admit evidence of prior sexual acts by Paul Flores. “These prior sexual acts include ... incidents described in the investigative reports and audio/video provided to defence, and other alleged incidents of abuse, which will be provided as they are obtained by the prosecution,” the document said. Dow said investigators have evidence Paul Flores continued to prey on women after Smart's death and the prosecutor appealed to any victims to come forward. Dow didn’t disclose what investigators found, but said Flores frequented bars around his home in the San Pedro area of Los Angeles area since 2005 and may have committed crimes there. He has a record of several convictions for driving under the influence. “We have evidence that we do believe there were other people not yet identified that have had some kind of a criminal act perpetrated on them by Mr. Flores,” Dow said. “We’re concerned about sexual assault.” Flores has been under suspicion from the earliest days of Smart's disappearance. He has gone from being a “person of interest” to a “suspect” to “the prime suspect” — and, now, defendant. Sheriff Ian Parkinson acknowledged Tuesday that early missteps by law enforcement, including a slow response to reports of Smart's disappearance, hampered the investigation. The revelation that the alleged crime scene was in Paul Flores' dorm room highlighted one of those failures. Smart was reported missing May 28, 1996, but no search began until two days later. Flores' room wasn't searched for another two weeks — after he had moved out for the summer. Smart’s family, who welcomed news of the arrest as a step toward bringing their daughter home, noted that “an indifference and lack of resolve we experienced early on set the course for many years.” A renewed effort to investigate the case led to new witnesses coming forward and warrants that allowed investigators to intercept and monitor Paul Flores’ phone and text messages and search his own home, along with those of his mother, father and sister that turned up new evidence, Parkinson said. He declined to offer more details because search warrants are sealed. Investigators served over 40 search warrants at 16 locations over the years, collected nearly 200 new items of evidence and used modern DNA techniques to test more than three dozen older pieces of evidence. So much evidence was compiled that it would fill three terabytes on a computer hard drive, he said. Brian Melley, The Associated Press

  • N.B. COVID-19 roundup: Province will pay New Brunswickers who travel at home again this summer

    The Department of Tourism is offering to pay New Brunswickers to vacation at home again this summer as part of the province's COVID-19 recovery plan. The Explore NB Travel Incentive Program will be reoffered again this year, with a budget of $4.5 million, Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Tammy Scott-Wallace announced Thursday as part of the department's budget estimates. The program, launched last summer and recently renewed for fall-winter travel, "has supported many tourism operators throughout the province by allowing them to stay open and generate revenue during the pandemic," Scott-Wallace said in a statement. No details about this summer's program have been released yet. The department's website says they will be shared "soon." Under the previous programs, residents could apply for a 20 per cent rebate on eligible expenses of up to $1,000 for travel within the province that included an overnight stay. Tourism Minister Tammy Scott-Wallace has said details about the renewed Explore NB travel rebate summer program will be announced 'soon.'(Submitted by Tammy Scott-Wallace) To further support the hotel sector and communities significantly impacted by COVID-19, the department will provide $200,000 to help bring meetings, conventions and sport tourism back to the province and invest $350,000 in the tourism regional fund to assist regions with their tourism plans as the province identifies next steps in local governance reform, she said. Funding has also been set aside to help the arts and culture sectors rebound post-COVID-19, said Wallace, calling the move "important" to government. "We want to ensure that creative New Brunswickers can continue to connect and inspire us when times are tough and as they improve." The plan includes: $300,000 for the arts and culture recovery and reactivation fund. Continuation of the Inspired by NB campaign to bring awareness of New Brunswick arts and cultural products through spending of $150,000. COVID-19 funding for the New Brunswick Museum and Kings Landing at $100,000 and $200,000 respectively, to help them with their recovery. An $85,000 increase in the New Brunswick Museum's operating budget. COVID update at 2:30 p.m. Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell and Health Minister Dorothy Shephard will provide an update on COVID-19 today. A live briefing will be held in Fredericton at 2:30 p.m. It will be live streamed here on CBC New Brunswick's website and and on its Facebook and Twitter pages. Sixteen new cases of COVID-19 were reported in New Brunswick on Wednesday, putting the total number of active cases at 141. Dr. Jennifer Russell and Health Minister Dorothy Shephard will address reporters in Fredericton on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.(Government of New Brunswick) Two of the cases were in the Saint John region, Zone 2, while the other 14 were in the Edmundston region, Zone 4. As of Wednesday 19 people are in hospital, 13 of whom are in intensive care. New Brunswick has had 1,752 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March 2020. There have been 33 COVID-related deaths and 1,577 recoveries. A total of 270,515 tests have been conducted, to date. More possible exposures Saint John region: March 29 and April 1, Guardian Drugs-Herring Cove Pharmacy (924 Rte. 774, Unit 2, Welshpool, Campobello Island) March 31, Service New Brunswick (73 Milltown Blvd., St. Stephen) March 31, Giant Tiger (210 King St., St. Stephen) March 31, Kent Building Supplies (188 King St., St. Stephen) March 31, Carman's Diner (164 King St., St. Stephen) Edmundston region: April 7, 8 and 9, Canada Post (4 Grondin St., Edmundston) April 8 and 9 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Fenêtre Unique (130 Rivière à la Truite Rd., Edmundston) April 8 and 9, National Bank, (111 de l'Église St., Edmundston) April 9 between 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. – Shoppers Drug Mart (160 Hébert Blvd., Edmundston) April 8 between 6:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m., April 7 between 6:30 a.m and 7:00 a.m., and April 6 between 6:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. – Tim Hortons (262 Isidore-Boucher Blvd., St-Jacques) April 7 between after 6:00 p.m., April 6 after 6:00 p.m. – Epicerie Chez ti-Marc (256 Isidore-Boucher Blvd., St-Jacques) April 7 between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., and April 6 between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. – Dollarama (787 Victoria St., Edmundston) April 7 between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., and April 6 between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. – NB Liquor, (575 Victoria St., Edmundston) April 7 between 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. – Jean Coutu (177 Victoria St., Edmundston) April 7 between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. – Subway (180 Hébert Blvd., Edmundston) April 7 between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. – Atlantic Superstore (577 Victoria St., Edmundston) April 6 between 6:30 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. – Scotiabank (75 Canada Rd., Edmundston) March 26 to April 8 – Napa Auto Parts - (260 Canada St., Edmundston) March 20 to April 9, Atlantic Superstore (577 Victoria St., Edmundston) April 5 at 11 a.m. – Shoppers Drug Mart (160 Hébert Blvd., Edmundston) April 1 – Royal Bank (48 Saint-François St., Edmundston) March 31 between 12 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. – Scotiabank (75 Canada Rd., Edmundston) March 30 between 12 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. – Scotiabank (75 Canada Rd., Edmundston) March 29 between 8:45 a.m. and 4 p.m. – Scotiabank (75 Canada Rd., Edmundston) Moncton region: April 8 between 4:45 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. – COSTCO Wholesale customer service (140 Granite Drive, Moncton) April 6 between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. – YMCA Vaughan Harvey, (30 War Veterans Ave., Moncton) April 4 between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. – Moncton Wesleyan Church (945 St. George Blvd., Moncton) April 3 between 8:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. – Kelseys Original Roadhouse (141 Trinity Dr., Moncton) April 1 between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., April 3 between 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., April 6 between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., April 8 between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. – CF Champlain (477 Paul St., Dieppe) Fredericton region: March 31 – Murray's Irving Big Stop (198 Beardsley Rd., Beardsley) Saint John region: April 9 between 2:10 p.m. and 2:40 p.m., GAP Factory East Point, (15 Fashion Dr., Saint John) April 9 between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. – McAllister Place, 519 Westmorland Rd., Saint John April 8 between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., – McAllister Place, 519 Westmorland Rd., Saint John April 8 between 1:15 p.m. and 2 p.m. – Service New Brunswick, 15 King Square North, Saint John April 1 between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. – YMCA of Greater Saint John (191 Churchill Blvd., Saint John) What to do if you have a symptom People concerned they might have COVID-19 symptoms can take a self-assessment test online. Public Health says symptoms shown by people with COVID-19 have included: Fever above 38 C. New cough or worsening chronic cough. Sore throat. Runny nose. Headache. New onset of fatigue, muscle pain, diarrhea, loss of sense of taste or smell. Difficulty breathing. In children, symptoms have also included purple markings on the fingers and toes. People with one of those symptoms should: Stay at home. Call Tele-Care 811 or their doctor. Describe symptoms and travel history. Follow instructions.

  • 'Wrong signal:' Federal ministers protest Saskatchewan's electric vehicle tax

    Two federal ministers are protesting Saskatchewan's plan to bring in a tax on electric vehicles. Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson and Transport Minister Omar Alghabra have outlined their concerns in a letter to Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe. In its most recent budget, Moe's government brought in a $150 yearly tax on electric vehicles. Saskatchewan has said the tax will ensure drivers of those vehicles pay their share to maintain roads, normally funded through gas taxes. But Wilkinson and Alghabra say the tax works against federal plans to increase the use of electric vehicles and reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. They point out the province holds many of the minerals used to build electric vehicles and encouraging their use is an economic opportunity for Saskatchewan. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2021. The Canadian Press

  • Vancouver boaters told to exercise caution after injured whale spotted

    Whale researchers and conservationists are urging boaters in the waters off Vancouver to slow down and give adequate space to an injured humpback whale that's been seen in the area. Jessica Scott, a biologist with Ocean Wise Conservation Association, said the whale was spotted three days ago with a deep cut on its tail stock, the muscular part of the tail between the body and the fluke. She said the injury appears to be a strike wound likely caused by a vessel travelling at relatively low speed. The conservation group is reminding boaters to slow to below 7 knots when within 1,000 metres of the animal, and to give it a minimum of 100 metres space. Scott said humpbacks are particularly vulnerable to ship strikes because they exhibit random travel patterns, sometimes remain underwater for more than 15 minutes, and tend to feed at the water's surface. An injury to the tail stock of a humpback whale seen swimming in the waters off Vancouver's west side is noticeable in recent photographs.(Vanessa Prigollini) She said the injured humpback has been seen in the waters off the Point Grey neighbourhood since early April. On April 11, a crew member from a whale watching vessel photographed the animal with a deep laceration behind its dorsal fin. Humpbacks are listed as being "of special concern" under Canada's Species at Risk Act, even as they have made a comeback in the past five decades. Scott said the whale also appears to have scars associated with an entanglement with fishing gear. So far, researchers believe the animal can recover from its injury if people keep their distance. She pointed out boaters need to keep an eye out for signs of whale presence, such as blows, splashes, or aggregations of birds. Scott said the Department of Oceans and Fisheries is monitoring the whale but there are no plans to intervene. She urges people to download the Ocean Wise WhaleReport app to notify the organization of whale sightings, which can then be transmitted to large commercial vessels in the area.

  • Police confirm woman found dead near Saint Andrews was resident missing since December

    The RCMP say a body found near Saint Andrews last weekend was that of a 68-year-old woman who disappeared in the area last December. Police don't believe foul play was a factor in her death. Wilhelmina (Wilma) Catherine Montgomery was reported missing on Dec. 8, 2020, after not being seen since around noon in Saint Andrews the day before. Her disappearance triggered a response from the Charlotte County Ground Search and Rescue team, which mobilized 20 searchers to look for her in the days after she was last seen. On Saturday, RCMP said the body of a woman was found by a kayaker on Navy Island, near Saint Andrews. "Even though this is not the outcome we were hoping for, we are glad to be able to bring closure to the family," said RCMP Sgt. Christopher Henderson.

  • Northern Pulp poised to submit revised plan for effluent treatment facility

    Northern Pulp intends to submit revised plans within a month for an effluent treatment facility at its mothballed paper mill in Nova Scotia's Pictou County, according to an affidavit filed this week in a B.C. court. The affidavit said the company — which is seeking protection from creditors — intends to share key details of the project with certain stakeholders by the end of April. Bruce Chapman, the mill's general manager, said Northern Pulp anticipates submitting a project description for an environmental assessment by May 13. It is unclear whether the new plan involves discharging treated effluent into the Northumberland Strait, a major source of controversy with its first proposal. However, the timeline references "detailed design engineering and ice scouring" to be completed by early next year. Ice scouring during winter in the strait is an issue for pipeline location. The company did not respond to a request for comment from CBC News. Plans for environmental assessment Northern Pulp's plans to pump treated effluent into the Northumberland Strait were still hung up in the provincial environmental assessment process when a January 2020 government deadline to close the existing treatment facility at Boat Harbour expired. With nowhere to treat nearly 75 million litres a day of effluent, the mill at Abercrombie Point closed, throwing 302 people out of work. Northern Pulp expects the new effluent treatment project will be classified as a "modification to existing infrastructure" and subject to a 50-day review — a timeline that can be extended at the discretion of the environment minister. The timeline expects environmental studies to be substantially completed by March 22, 2022, with an environmental assessment decision by June 29, 2022. Seeking another $6M to carry on The affidavit is in support of an application to extend creditor protection from the end of April to Oct. 31, 2021, and to draw down an additional $6 million from lenders, including its parent company, Paper Excellence, to continue restructuring. Court documents released last year show Northern Pulp owes creditors $309 million. Paper Excellence is owed $213 million and the province $84 million. In the affidavit, Northern Pulp said "meaningful progress" has been made in discussions with the province over the environmental assessment process. The company said it has revised its design and plans for the new treatment facility to include stakeholder concerns. 'It may be necessary to commence litigation' Several disputes with the province remain unresolved, including: An appeal of the 2020 ministerial order on how Northern Pulp was to manage the mill during the shutdown. Potential compensation over the Boat Harbour Act which closed the provincially owned facility 10 years before the lease with Northern Pulp was due to expire. Northern Pulp said it is committed to negotiating a mutually agreeable settlement with the provincial government. "Nonetheless, in the event that the petitioners and the province are unable to reach an agreement with respect to clarity in the environmental assessment process for the new replacement ETF [effluent treatment facility], or if the settlement discussions stall, it may be necessary to commence litigation to resolve disputes with the province relating to the passage of the Boat Harbour Act and the closure of the mill," the affidavit said. The decision to shut down the Boat Harbour facility was a commitment by the province to address concerns from the Pictou Landing First Nation, which had been an unwilling neighbour of the mill's waste treatment site for more than 50 years. The band also opposed the mill plan to pipe treated effluent into the Strait. Chief Andrea Paul said she has not been consulted on the revised project. "I don't know about their plan," she said in a brief email to CBC News. MORE TOP STORIES

  • New Brunswick says 14 of 16 new COVID-19 cases in hard-hit Edmundston area

    FREDERICTON — A sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the Edmundston, N.B., region Wednesday brought New Brunswick's active case count to 141 — the highest in Atlantic Canada and a main reason the regional travel bubble isn't reopening this month. Health officials in the province reported 16 new cases — 14 of which were identified in the Edmundston area, in the northwest of the province, which was placed under lockdown last weekend. The outbreak is a primary reason the region's premiers decided Tuesday to delay the reopening of the Atlantic travel bubble to May 3 from April 19. It's also why Nova Scotia is reimposing restrictions for travellers from New Brunswick. Beginning at 8 a.m. Thursday, all visitors to Nova Scotia from New Brunswick will have to self-isolate for 14 days. In Charlottetown, the city's chamber of commerce issued a statement Wednesday expressing disappointment with the delay in reopening the bubble, which will allow residents of the region to travel freely between the four provinces without the need to isolate for 14 days. Chamber CEO Penny Walsh-McGuire said while the growing case counts in New Brunswick are "of concern," the chamber is urging the governments of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador to consider a phased approach to reopening. "This could include solutions to allow for safe travel between the three provinces until such time that the situation in New Brunswick changes," Walsh-McGuire said. New Brunswick health officials said 11 of the 14 new cases in Edmundston and upper Madawaska involve contacts of a previously reported infection, while the three others were under investigation. The two remaining cases were in the Saint John region. Health officials said 19 patients were hospitalized with the disease, including 13 in intensive care. In Newfoundland and Labrador, officials reported three new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday and ruled out community transmission in the western region of the province. Chief medical officer of health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald said all three cases are linked to travel. She said public health was still working to identify the source of a cluster of cases in the western region but added that recent mass testing efforts had ruled out community transmission. The province has 14 active reported cases of COVID-19. Meanwhile, Nova Scotia reported two new cases of COVID-19 and a total of 42 active cases. Health officials identified one case in the Halifax area related to international travel and one in the eastern zone related to domestic travel outside Atlantic Canada. Officials added that 18 previously reported cases have been identified as the B.1.1.7 mutation first identified in the United Kingdom. Chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang said in a news release the number of cases being identified as variants is growing. "It's important to understand that most of these cases are related to travel," Strang said. To date, Nova Scotia has identified 41 cases of the U.K. variant and 10 cases of the B.1.3.5.1 mutation first identified in South Africa. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2021. — With files from Keith Doucette in Halifax and Sarah Smellie in St. John's. The Canadian Press

  • Alberta government, Stampede optimistic outdoor events will go forward this summer

    Amidst a backdrop of increased restrictions and cases of COVID-19 variants, the provincial government is optimistic that outdoor festivals and events such as the Calgary Stampede will go ahead this summer. Over 300 members of Alberta's live events industry joined Doug Schweitzer, the minister of jobs, economy and innovation, for a virtual town hall on Tuesday to discuss the outlook for the province's social calendar in the coming months. According to Schweitzer, the Alberta government is heading into its second pandemic summer in consultation with event organizers and stakeholders in the hopes of going ahead with outdoor festivals safely. "When it comes to outdoor events in summer, we want to make sure that we have outdoor events happening in Alberta, people engaging with each other," Schweitzer said. "As we get into May and probably early June, you're going to start to see those health measures continue to be reduced to the point where, the premier's been very clear, he wants us to try and have a Stampede this year." 'Best and safest' Stampede coming in July, officials say On April 6, the Alberta government reintroduced stricter health measures to counter a surge of COVID-19 variant cases. But Kenney said at a press conference on April 10 that once vaccines outstrip the variants, "we absolutely can get back to normal this summer." "I believe we're going to have a Calgary Stampede, we're going to have outdoor events," Kenney said. For its part, Calgary Stampede officials told CBC News in a statement Wednesday that it is planning to go forward. "We are committed to hosting the best and safest Stampede, July 9 to 18, and continue to work with various levels of government and health officials on specific safety measures," the statement said. "We expect to be able to share more details as we get closer to July." The Calgary Folk Fest, pictured here in 2016, is usually held in late July at Prince's Island Park.(Rachel Maclean/CBC) Other stakeholders like Sara Leishman, the executive director of the Calgary Folk Festival, told CBC News they are engaging in "in-depth, ongoing conversations with the city and the province around the ever-changing COVID-19 situation." "We remain cautiously optimistic and adaptable so are in the process of planning ways to safely bring live music back, in a very modified way, to Prince's Island Park this summer," Leishman said. Modelling and consultations Schweitzer said the province is looking to countries that are further along in their vaccination efforts — such as the United States and Israel — to see how their reopenings have unfolded amidst vaccine distribution. That has included their handling of live events and the reopening of sports venues. To make live events happen, Minister Doug Schweitzer says the province is looking to countries that are further along in their vaccination efforts, such as the United States and Israel. (Todd Korol/The Canadian Press) "We're finding the provincial and the municipal governments to be very supportive and very collaborative," Cindy McLeod, the producer and artistic director of the Calgary Blues Festival, told CBC News. "Because we are in the business of presenting large events safely, we're finding that they're not just sending directives, but they're actually asking for suggestions and ideas." 'Safety is uppermost in our minds' Event organizers have created templates for safe events that included protocols such as masking and distancing that were then taken to a medical officer who helped to tweak it, McLeod said. Those templates were presented to the government and Alberta Health Services, who were very receptive, she said. The festival will look different, but ultimately McLeod said the plan is to go ahead with something small that can be ramped up to become larger. "Safety is uppermost in our minds. We are reassured by not just the government — we're also collaborating with medical officers and public health doctors," she said. However, McLeod said that ultimately what happens will hinge on the vaccine. Dr. Jia Hu, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Calgary who presented at the town hall, agreed. Complicating matters further are the variants that are now the dominant strains in Alberta that Schweitzer said made him hesitant to "over-promise" normalcy. And for these same reasons, infectious disease specialist Craig Jenne told CBC News that live events are still not a guarantee. 'Still too early to know' "Unfortunately … it's still too early to know exactly what to expect, and that's because there are a couple things that are still changing that are really going to influence what happens," Jenne said. Vaccine supply and rollout are certainly factors, but according to Jenne, uptake is also becoming an issue. Signs of vaccine hesitancy are increasing. The other side of the equation is the virus itself is changing, Jenne said. The variants have different properties that have to also be taken into account. Still, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, said Tuesday that there is a path forward. "If we have high-enough uptake of vaccines; if we can build a strong-enough wall of protection, and if we are able to turn our cases and our hospitalization numbers down, I believe that it's possible we could have large events this summer," she said.