Festival a no-go for now

The proposed Fashion and Design Festival has been cancelled at CN Centre.

The event was scheduled for two days in May, but promoter Linda Buchanan of Halifax, a controversial figure due to multiple new charges and a past conviction for fraud, did not take the necessary steps to secure the dates at the venue.

Buchanan was undeterred. "We are not going to drop Prince George at all....way too much potential in the region," she told The Citizen following the CN Centre decision.

For the venue, a civic facility, it was a matter of standard procedures and due diligence on behalf of the taxpayer. "As the promoter did not produce a suitable deposit to ensure the dates were held, the event is cancelled at CN Centre," said Glen Mikkelsen, entertainment and marketing supervisor. "It is not unusual for us to request a deposit. It is a percentage amount. There was a discussion with the promoter about our request for a deposit, but in accordance with our policy we maintained our standard request and it was not forthcoming."

The primary reason for requesting the deposit, said Mikkelsen, is to secure dates.

It is standard practice in the entertainment industry to establish a mutual commitment so that the venue will not flip the desired dates to a different promoter unexpectedly and the promoter will not let a date go unused that the venue could otherwise have sold to someone else.

In this particular case, said Mikkelsen, the CN Centre organization is not out of pocket any money due to the cancellation nor did Buchanan lose any money to the taxpayer-owned facility.

"We wish her well in her future endeavours, including at CN Centre," he said. "We are willing to

discuss future events with her, but we do have a standard policy and that will always be a criteria for her to secure a date at this facility."

The next public events scheduled for CN Centre are the 70s Disco Party on March 23; country stars Johnny Reid and Carolyn Dawn Johnson on April 16; the Spring Bling teen dance party on April 27; The Canadian Tenors on May 23; and the monster truck/motorcycle double-header on May 26 and 27.