I was wrong: contrary to my earlier supposition, the payment from Harold MacKay to the city just before the Metallica show was in fact related to the concert loan scandal, and not simply pre-payment for Metallica costs. Council Tuesday released this statement: 13.3 Contractual Matter – Concert Update That Halifax Regional Council approve the settlement […]
Gig trouble
Posted inNews + Opinion
ACOA money went to support Snoop Dogg concert
Last year, just as provincial crown corporation Trade Centre Limited was losing $159,550 loaned to a concert promoter in Halifax, the federal crown corporation Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation was propping up a promoter in Sydney with a $145,000 loan and a $36,000 grant. ECBC, which falls under the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, gave the money […]
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Media mis-report “showdown” between Richard Butts and Harold MacKay over Metallica show
Under the headline “Concert promoter agrees to pay HRM thousands,” last week, CBC broadly implied that concert promoter Harold MacKay had paid back about $40,000 of the the $359,550 lost in the Common concert fiasco: The city had been trying to recover approximately $359,550 — a portion of a $400,000 advance issued to MacKay’s former […]
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City embarrasses itself with Metallica fiasco
In a bizarre and inexplicable move, this past week the city of Halifax attempted to force the promotion company for the July 14 Metallica concert on Citadel Hill to pay the $359,550 bill for the Common concerts fiasco. With the advice and encouragement of Scott Ferguson, president of provincial crown corporation Trade Centre Limited, Halifax […]
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Possible Metallica cancellation: City picks wrong target in attempt to recoup concert costs
Harold MacKay is right: He doesn’t owe the city of Halifax one cent. But city administrators are demanding $359,550 from his wife’s company, MacKay Entertainment, before agreeing to provide city services to the July 14 Metallica show on Citadel Hill. The city oversees and regulates police, fire, licensing and other aspects of the concert; without […]
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More of Peter Kelly’s verbal diarrhea
I’ve been collecting examples of mayor Peter Kelly’s evasive responses to direct questions. See here and here, for instance. The following is a transcript of mayor Peter Kelly’s appearance on CBC Radio One’s Mainstreet last week. I’m indebted to Waye Mason, who slogged through the recording and produced the text below. My only comment is […]
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Percy Paris praises Scott Ferguson’s improper behaviour
How hard up is economic development minister Percy Paris for a new convention centre? So hard up that he’ll shove any impropriety on the part of Trade Centre Limited officials—financial, ethical, what have you—down the memory hole. Monday, I detailed how Scott Ferguson, president of TCL, had been warned by the TCL auditor to stop […]
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Both Peter Kelly and Scott Ferguson should resign
In March, almost as soon as the concerts funding scandal came to light, city hall’s head bureaucrat Wayne Anstey resigned. Now, with city auditor general Larry Munroe’s report revealing the backstory, the question of blame needs to be raised again. Should mayor Peter Kelly resign over his involvement in the funding scheme? Absolutely. Kelly was […]
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City officials contemplate suing Trade Centre Limited
Two city officials are implying there’s a simple solution to the $359,550 bill related to concerts scandal: Don’t pay it. That course of action, suggested by both city auditor Larry Munroe and city councillor Gloria McCluskey, threatens to create an epic legal battle between the city and Trade Centre Limited, a provincial crown corporation. But […]
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Peter Kelly is the Sarah Palin of Halifax
Throughout his report on the concert loan scandal, auditor general Larry Munroe utterly castigates Halifax mayor Peter Kelly for his involvement in the financial improprieties. Kelly is mentioned by name 54 times in the 96-page report, and his office is cited over 100 times. Here’s how Munroe summarizes Kelly’s role in the scandal: Based on […]
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Concert report slams Peter Kelly, Wayne Anstey, Fred MacGillivray and Scott Ferguson
Halifax auditor general Larry Munroe released his report on the concert loan scandal Tuesday. Mayor Peter Kelly, the city’s former chief bureaucrat Wayne Anstey and former and current Trade Centre Limited presidents Fred MacGillivray and Scott Ferguson are particularly implicated. The report names names, assigns blame and provides explosive new details about how city and […]
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Concert loan scandal report out tomorrow
As expected, the city’s auditor general’s report on the concert loan scandal has been agendized for Tuesday, soon after the 10am start of city council’s meeting (item 9.3.1). In public session, with reporters and TV cameras present, auditor general Larry Munroe will make what will likely be a lengthy presentation to council; immediately afterwards paper […]