As the World Health Organization declared the global outbreak contained and travel advisories for Canada’s largest city were lifted, efforts immediately began to bring people back to Toronto — and one of the country’s biggest music events was born.On July 30, 2003, an estimated 450,000 to 500,000 people descended on Downsview Park for what was officially called the Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto concert, but more commonly known as SARSstock or SARSfest.
The Canadian Press spoke to an organizer, a performer and attendees about their reflections on the event 20 years later.The idea for SARSfest was conceived by then-TorontoMP Dennis Mills, who had beenbrainstorming with the city on how to revive Toronto’s economy following SARS — severe acute respiratory syndrome.Article content
Once private funding was secured to pay the artists, Mills still had to convince the Toronto police chief, the city and the provincial and federal governments to back the idea of a massive festival being organized in 10 weeks. After a performance in Vancouver the evening before,they had to be escorted from the venue in rickshaws, with police running alongside them, so they could make their red-eye flight to Toronto.
“There’s so many moments in my work life that I’ve just had to just open my eyes and just absorb where I am and that was certainly one of them,” he said. “They were fantastic” Castle said, recalling The Rolling Stones’ performance. “It was incredible. We made our way down as close to the front as we could get and got fairly close to the stage actually.”Article content“It was in the centre of summer, so it was really hot,” Avenius said, “I don’t think I’ve ever been to a festival that big ever before.”
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