Sarah McLachlan cancels shows in West Kelowna, Salmon Arm as wildfires burn in B.C.
Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan has had two shows in B.C. cancelled by two separate wildfires.
The Juno and Grammy-award winning musician, who has sold over 40 million albums worldwide, was scheduled to play at the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues festival on Sunday and at the Mission Hill Family Estate Winery in West Kelowna Monday.
The West Kelowna show was the first to be called off following a night of devastation in the Okanagan city that saw more than 2,000 people forced from their homes and multiple properties destroyed.
The winery says it hopes to set a new date for McLachlan to visit but is also offering refunds online.
About 100 kilometers north of West Kelowna, organizers of the Salmon Arts Roots and Blues festival had remained hopeful their performance would be able to go ahead.
The festival kicked off Friday night, with headliners Blue Rodeo playing under an increasingly smoky sky.
By Saturday, organizers said it had become clear the festival should be called off as hundreds of people were forced from their homes by wildfires burning to the north of Salmon Arm.
In a notice posted online, the festival says it made the decision after consulting with fire officials and RCMP and ticket holders will be contacted in the weeks ahead.
McLachlan's official Instagram account reposted the announcement, adding "our thoughts are with everyone who is being impacted by the fires... Please stay safe."
On Saturday, the province said an estimated 30,000 people are under evacuation orders while a further 36,000 are under evacuation alert.
The latest on B.C.'s wildfires:
