Date: 1942

Origin: The Globe and Mail, courtesy of Mike Filey

In 2020, the CNE had to make the difficult decision to cancel the fair (August 21 to September 7) due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. This is the second time in its 142-year history that the CNE had to cancelled. This article from the Globe and Mail provides details about the closure of the CNE during the Second World War from 1942 to 1946. Although the war ended in 1945, it took quite a while for the military to move out, which is why the CNE was not staged in 1946. Prime Minister Mackenzie King re-opened the fair at the Bandshell in 1947.