This September’s National Postage Stamp & Coin Show has been cancelled due to the ongoing provincial health restrictions for indoor trade shows in Ontario.
Trajan Publishing made the announcement on Aug. 24, when the company was advised the current regulations would reduce the number of dealer tables by almost 50 per cent plus a substantial reduction in the number of attendees allowed in the room at any given time.
“The spike in COVID cases in the last few weeks, combined with the medical community predicting the cases will continue to rise into the fall, also raised concerns overall for the safety of all participants attending our popular show,” said CSN Publisher and Editor Mike Walsh.
Ontario began its reopening process with “step one” on June 11 followed by “step two” on June 30 and now “step three” on July 16. While officials avoided setting a specific date for the province’s exit from step three – which would have seen most restrictions lifted – Premier Doug Ford told reporters on July 30 the exit could happen by mid-August. Based on these projections, Trajan was planning to go ahead with the in-person show without the majority of public health measures, including capacity limits.
“Up to a few weeks ago, we were very hopeful the show would be a go,” added Walsh. “It’s disappointing as I know there is pent-up demand for the shows to return as soon as possible, and we were looking forward to getting together with you all.”
Looking ahead to next year, Trajan’s spring and fall National Postage Stamp & Coin Show are scheduled for April 9-10 and Sept. 10-11, respectively.