Wildsight scales back Stillpoint Festival due to illness and costs

Wildsight Kimberley/Cranbrook has announced the cancellation of several events at the Stillpoint Festival, scaling the festival back to a single-day event. The cancelled activities include the Stillpoint Summit Screening and mountaintop experiences scheduled for September 19, as well as the expanded Farmers’ Market and Kootenay Film Celebration originally set for September 17 and 18.

The organization cited two primary reasons for the decision: the health of a key staff member and financial security concerns. Sparta Humphreys, the fundraising coordinator who led much of the festival's production, is facing unpredictable health challenges due to a recurring serious illness. Wildsight stated they cannot proceed with an event that puts a team member’s well-being at risk.

Additionally, the organization noted that the specialized projection equipment required to meet the technical standards of the Banff World Tour was unavailable locally. Without sufficient sponsorship and fundraising to cover the high costs and technical requirements, Wildsight determined that proceeding would pose an unacceptable level of financial risk to the non-profit. Ticketholders for the cancelled events will receive full refunds. Other scheduled public events, including film screenings at the Conference Centre and various community discussions, will proceed as planned.