BROCK: The 2020 edition of the Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival has been cancelled to protect people from COVID-19. The cancellation was announced on Thursday, March 12th. “Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the committee for the Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival has canceled this year’s event. This was a difficult decision, especially as this would be the milestone 25th year for the celebration. By now, countless hours of work have gone into organizing the event, but in the interest of public health and safety, the committee feels this is the right decision at the right time,” read a post from Festival Chair and Regional Councillor Ted Smith on the festival’s website. The annual festival was going to be held on Saturday, April 4th and Sunday, April 5th. “Each year, this well-loved event draws thousands of visitors from across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. The idea behind cancelling is to minimize risk for families and visitors of all ages,” the post continued. “The committee members thank everyone involved for their ongoing support and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”