The main floor of Lily Lake Pavilion in Saint John is often decorated for wedding receptions, birthday and retirement parties and end-of-life celebrations.
Since March 2020, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has all but eliminated those events and others from booking time at the pavilion.
Deborah Lawton, community programs coordinator at Lily Lake Pavilion, said bookings resumed when the province lifted all COVID-19 restrictions at the end of July, but it was a challenging time.
“The last 18, 19, 20 months, everything has been fluid I guess is the best way to describe it,” Lawton said. “We’ve tried to always stay in compliance and ahead of public health guidelines for the safety of our customers and our staff.”
In a Sunday news release updating COVID-19 numbers, New Brunswick health officials said contact tracing confirmed that informal gatherings contributed to another jump in infections over the weekend, particularly among unvaccinated people.
“Events including hunting parties, prayer groups, birthday parties, private funerals and a backyard wedding have resulted in new cases at various locations throughout the province,” the news release stated.
Lawton said the pavilion is booking at half-capacity, about 100 people per event. She admitted they have lost business because they haven’t been able to keep enough staff on hand.
She said she understands people want to be together again, but not at the risk of seeing more restrictions brought in by the government.
“I think the safest way for all of us to do that is to ensure, whether they’re informal or formal gatherings, that we certainly follow the guidelines of public health,” Lawton said.
“Because if we aren’t doing that and our cases continue to rise, we’re all going to see the restrictions that come with that.”
Lawton said New Brunswick’s new proof of vaccination policy has created headaches with some customers and peace of mind with others.
She also said the pandemic has created an addition to its client base.
A local business rented the facility this week for an in-person meeting. Lawton said it’s because the location offered the ability for social distancing among attendees. She said that type of booking was not common prior to COVID-19.