Nancy Abrahamson, shown here Wednesday, is the director of the International Children's Festival in St. Albert, Alta. (CBC)

A festival for children in St. Albert, Alta., has pulled an act by a marionette group from Mexico out of its 2009 lineup as a precaution, after the outbreak of swine flu in that country.

"We are just taking precautions and because we are so committed to creating a fun, friendly atmosphere and we want an extremely healthy and safe environment, we've decided to postpone Emilio and the Enchanted Cow as they are from Mexico City," said Nancy Abrahamson, director of the International Children's Festival.

The show, by the group Marionetas de la Esquina, has been moved to the 2011 festival, because next year's festival is already fully booked. The group will be replaced by Canadian children's performer Al Simmons.

The festival consulted recommendations and reports from the World Health Organization and local health authorities before making the decision, Abrahamson said. The festival starts on May 26.

Marionetas de la Esquina were performing at a children's festival in Chicago last week when they got the news, member Amaranta Leyva said. They were surprised because they had been in the United States since mid-April before the outbreak started to spread in Mexico and no one in the group was ever sick.

"We offered the possibility of staying in Canada or the U.S. until May 26th and not going back to Mexico. But it didn't work," Leyva said.

"Those are the policies of the festival and if they decided that that's better for the audience and for the people of Edmonton, we can't do anything else."

The group had been performing at dates in Chicago, Long Island, N.Y., Madison, Wis., and St. Louis, Mo. Some people asked organizers questions about them at one festival, but people were fine once they learned they weren't sick and had been in the U.S. for more than a few days, Leyva said.

The International Children's Festival runs from May 26 to 30 in St. Albert, which is just outside of Edmonton.

Swine flu total in province at 61

On Wednesday, Alberta announced eight new confirmed cases of swine flu bringing the provincial total to 61.

All of the new cases are mild, and include: a boy and a girl in Calgary, a woman from central Alberta, two adults and a child from Edmonton and a woman and a girl from northern Alberta.

Officials are trying to determine the travel history for all of the new cases.