Will Wednesday be a holiday in St. John’s? Regatta organizers say it’s still hard to know

The annual Royal St. John’s Regatta file photo. Photo by File photo /THE TELEGRAMArticle contentCountless residents of St. John’s, and people who come to work in the city, will have to wait to find out whether or not Wednesday, Aug. 5 will, in fact, be a holiday — and no one is more anxious for an answer than Shannon Brown.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentAs Captain of the Course for the 208th Royal St. John’s Regatta, she makes the official call as to whether or not the races go ahead on Wednesday morning. And Brown says 2026 is a particularly tricky one to predict, weatherwise.Article contentArticle contentArticle content“It’s not an easy year to decide,” Brown told The Telegram on Tuesday, Aug. 4. “Some years it’s just easy. You say ‘There’s no way this is going ahead,’ or ‘Thank God. Look at the weather tomorrow. This is a very 50/50 forecast for tomorrow,” she said.Article contentBrown says she’s been scouring weather reports for days. Wind predictions for Wednesday are less severe than on Monday, she says. “But we live in Newfoundland. The weather has been changing each day.”Article content Shannon Brown, Captain of the Course for the 2026 Royal St. John’s Regatta, makes the official call as to what day the races will be held. And right now 2026 is “not an easy year to decide,” she says. Photo by Kyle MooneyArticle content‘We can’t control the weather’Article contentBrown is keeping an eye peeled for wind gusts of 50 km/h or more — “automatic red flags,” she says. Wind direction is also a factor: Southwest will bring a crosswind from one side of Quidi Vidi Lake to the other — not so much a concern. But Thursday’s winds are looking much higher, she says. “And they’re coming from the north which is not a good wind for rowing.”Article contentTo get as clear an image as possible of what the big day will hold, Brown consults local meteorologists and variety of online sources, including Environment Canada and The Weather Network.Article contentArticle content“The forecasts are all quite different this year, depending where you look,” she says. “Right now the winds on The Weather Network are much higher than they are on Environment Canada. So that’s why we reach out to local meteorologists here.”Article contentBrown will continue to monitor weather reports until midnight. Then she’ll join the Royal St. John’s Regatta Committee lakeside at 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday to make the official call.Article contentBrown says she feels “okay” despite the pressure she is facing heading into Wednesday. “I hate saying it is what it is,” she said, “but we can’t control the weather.”Article content‘Par for the course’Article content Brooke Street, a bartender at O’Reilly’s Irish Pub on George Street, is expecting a big crowd Tuesday evening, Aug. 4 playing Regatta Roulette.Article content A concert poster on George Street advertises a show scheduled for the Tuesday before Regatta Day in St. John’s, known by locals as “Regatta Roulette”. Photo by Kyle MooneyArticle contentThe Tuesday before Regatta Day is billed Regatta Roulette night at the annual George Street Festival, which runs until Aug. 5.Article contentBrooke Street, a bartender at O’Reilly’s Irish Pub on George Street, is already expecting at least 150 people in her bar, regardless whether or not Wednesday ends up being a holiday.Article content“People love the thrill of being just living on the edge,” she says. “Normally people will come down the night before and then go to the Regatta absolutely hungover. They risk it for the biscuit, every time.”