CANADA - The Woodworking Machinery & Supply Conference & Expo (WMS), scheduled for Feb. 24-26, has been cancelled due to the recently announced provincial lockdown resulting from governmental concerns about the highly contagious Omicron variant.

“COVID-19 has, once again, forced our hand to make this difficult decision,” said Tim Fixmer, president and CEO of CCI Canada, organizers of the event.

The Ontario government moved the province into a modified version of Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen,  for at least 21 days. As such, indoor meeting and event spaces are closed.

“Even if the government begins easing restrictions in February our exhibitors will not have sufficient time to prepare for the event,” said Fixmer. "Our priority is the health and safety of our attendees and exhibitors.”

He said WMS will return to its regularly scheduled time slot in the fall of 2023. The date and venue will be announced as soon as possible.

WMS is world-renowned as Canada’s preeminent industrial woodworking event. For more than four decades, WMS has connected Canada’s woodworking professionals with the world’s most prominent machinery manufacturers and suppliers.