Norton Fans Reunite! …
PAST UPDATES…
June 8th – Nortorious 2 Update: The rally is going ahead Sept 6-10, 2021!
Slipping the date to 6-10 September seems to be working out! The public health situation in BC is improving rapidly and the Provincial four step plan to return to normality should be fully implemented by September. This is so encouraging and means that we should be able as a minimum to host a Canadian Rally. Today there is also a report that criteria for re-opening the US Canada border are being actively discussed. Let us hope a decision is made quickly to allow us all to make plans to attend. It would be fabulous for the “INOA clan” to gather and put the last 18 months of health scares, lockdowns, and restrictions well and truly behind us! I also think it would be a fitting tribute to friends that we have lost since the last time we were able to gather.
The town of Lumby is looking forward to seeing you all and like many small communities they have experienced some tough times during the pandemic. Fortunately, the pub, restaurants and café are all still in business, as is the Twin Creeks Motel. The Lions are being fantastic and helping us in so many ways. The campsite will be solely for us from noon on Labor Day but if you want to arrive early or indeed stay late, please make your own arrangements directly with the campground office. The slightly revised schedule of events is on the link on this site.
September is a great time to be in the BC interior with good weather (mid 70s F) and less tourist traffic. The Rally Committee is now just making some final arrangements and our intention is to open online booking for the rally by July 5th for at least those of us on this side of the border. This will be extended to all as soon as we get confirmation that the border will open. The one thing we would ask is that you all make an early decision to come and get your booking in as quickly as possible, so we get an idea of numbers. Watch this space for regular updates. Carpe Diem!
Nortorious 2 – New Dates 6 – 10 Sep 2021!
So, we have made a decision! The current public health situation in BC meant we had to either cancel completely or slip the original July dates to September. We have been on a roller-coaster and now in late April the COVID numbers are up again in Western Canada. Consequently, here in BC gatherings are restricted to 10, it is patio only service for pubs and restaurants, plus out of area and inter-provincial travel is strongly discouraged. Even with the vaccine roll-out, this will not change until late May at the earliest, with the US Canada border shut until at least 21 June. We know from the many of you who have contacted us there is pent up enthusiasm for a damn good rally this summer, but with ongoing uncertainty and the need to set contracts etc., our only realistic option apart from outright cancellation is to move the rally from July to a September date. So, we propose that the Rally will now take place on the 6 to 10 September in Lumby, BC. The Lions campsite will be available to us from noon on Labor Day and the planned schedule of events will be largely unchanged. The weather is normally still good in the Okanagan (mid 70s F) and by then restaurants, bars etc., should be open with reduced restrictions. Conscious that Covid may still throw us a curve ball for even the new September date we will make a final go/no go decision at the beginning of July. Watch this space!
INOA 2021 Rally Nortorious 2 – Feb 25 Update
We hope that this finds you well and perhaps even a few of you may have received the vaccine – we hope many more of you do soon. So there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel but the issue remains as to how quickly we get through the tunnel, particularly for the Canadian end. The vaccination program on the north side of the border has been slow to get going and for most of us there are no firm dates on when we may get vaccinated, but it looks like early summer at the earliest. Our Prime Minister has suggested that we will all have our jabs by the end of September – Justin clearly does not understand there is a riding season to be had.
On the positive side, COVID cases within BC are dropping and there could be minor relaxations of the current rules at the end of Mar/early Apr. We also had a very good recent meeting with the Lumby Lions and they still want to see us on the campsite. They have said that they can wait until mid-May for us to tell them whether the July Rally is a go or not – this is great news as they could replace our revenue with RV bookings. So we continue to plan for the Rally from the 12 to 16 Jul. We are also anticipating possible ongoing restrictions by using more tentage and holding as much as we can outdoors – this should not be a problem as our summers are hot and dry.
So at the latest we will make a go/no go decision on the Rally no later than mid-May – hopefully earlier. Please keep the dates free and let us know if you intend to come via the info email. We really hope to see you here in BC.
Nortorious 2 – Nov 2020 Update
“May we live in interesting times….”
I suspect we all wish life was a little more boring and we did not have an unpredictable pandemic to contend with – let us hope vaccines do become available and are effective.
BMOC Okanagan are still very much hoping that Nortorious 2 will take place in Lumby July 12-16, 2021. Much of the planning has been done, however, with events outside of our control, we are making contingency plans with the aim of remaining flexible and having an event that is scalable regarding numbers attending.
Our primary guidance will be public health criteria on permissible numbers for events from the BC Minister for Health and Provincial Health Officer. The other major factor is obviously whether the US-Canada border is open. For the next month, we will be working with partners and suppliers to understand their situation and dates when we need to confirm contracts etc – the idea is we persuade our partners to push confirmation dates as late as possible. Our intuition is that we will need to make the decision somewhere between mid-Mar and mid-Apr next year. Once the decision is made as long as it is not total cancellation, we will open the link for bookings.
So, what can you do? First please think about coming and keep that week free in your 2021 schedule. Second we will be releasing news on the www.nortonrally.com website so please monitor that. As of Jan 2021, we will be adding a ride of the month to the website, featuring some of the great rides available in the interior of BC. Finally, if you think you want to come please let us know via the info email: inoalumby2021@outlook.com .
Whatever the final format, you will be assured of a great welcome, great riding and great company.
ORIGINAL ANNOUNCEMENT…
Nortorious 2 Announcement – July 2020
BMOC Okanagan are very much looking forward to hosting the 2021 INOA Rally in Lumby BC from July 12-16, 2021. As for the 2003 Positive Earth and 2010 Nortorious Rally, the Lumby community from the Mayor down are engaged and looking forward to welcoming Norton riders. We have already reached agreement with the Lumby Lions to block book to get exclusive use of their campsite for the entire period, including 20 sites with water and hookup for those bringing 4 wheels. A further 20 overflow sites are available but without hookup. We are delighted that the BMOC Vancouver and NW Norton Owners will work with us to ensure a first class Rally.
The Rally Schedule has been designed to offer riders ample opportunity to explore the numerous great roads in the area and enjoy some first class destinations, including a motorcycle museum, wineries and ski resort. For those that wish to explore by themselves, we will offer ideas and route-cards that can be downloaded prior to arrival.
We will also have our traditional field of dreams, technical sessions, field games, concours and banquet on the final evening. A summary of the proposed Rally schedule is posted elsewhere on this site.
For those looking for alternative accommodation, the Twin Creek Motel is adjacent to the campsite and we are seeking to negotiate group rates for Rally goers. A further Hotel in the centre of Lumby is currently being refurbished and may be completed by the Rally. The range of eating and drinking options in Lumby has increased since 2010 – they are all within easy walking distance.
As can be appreciated what was available pre-COVID may be changed by the economic fall-out. At this point we want to tell you that we are working to create another memorable rally, but will postpone taking bookings until we are pretty confident that COVID2 is not a serious threat to the event. As soon as we possibly can we will let you know when you will be able to book.
However, we would love to hear from potential rally goers to gauge numbers so please let us know your intentions by sending us an email at inoalumby2021@outlook.com or by clicking on the 2021 Rally Inquiries link in the menu to the right.
Best wishes and safe riding!
BMOC Okanagan INOA 2021 Nortorious 2 Rally Committee
