Saskatoon's German Cultural Centre to permanently close due to COVID-19 measures

The German Cultural Centre in Saskatoon is closing.

The German Canadian Club Concordiaof Saskatoon announced on Sunday that the centre would close permanently, saying in a release that it was a direct result of the COVID-19 measures.

"We survived the fire of 2009, but have succumbed to Covid-19," the release reads. "The restriction on the number of people allowed in our facility has made it impossible to continue the business."

The centre postponed all events due to COVID-19 measures put into place earlier this year.

In a post on social media about its closure on Sunday, the centre said staff would be contacting people with bookings at the facility and the news release said the organization would honour "outstanding financial commitments to suppliers and patrons."

The centre has a long history of hosting events in the city. The club was founded in 1957 and the first club house opened in 1968.

The club has been a part of the Saskatoon Folkfest since the first year and the German pavilion attracts some of the largest crowds at the annual cultural festival. It has also hosted weddings, an annual Oktoberfest gathering and a Christmas market.

In 2009, a fire destroyed the previous club house but a bigger building with more event space was constructed and opened in 2011.

German Club reopens

13 years ago

Duration 1:37

The German Concordia Club building was destroyed by fire and has rebuilt, Steve Pasqualotto reports.

The release says the building has been listed for sale.

The restaurant will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings until Aug. 29.