Hope fades fast for Ever After Music Festival (update)
Two weeks out from the supposed start of the Ever After Music Festival and it's looking more like 'never' after.
The festival has been on a pandemic pause since it was last held in Kitchener in 2019. In 2020 and 2021, ticket-holders were told 'no refunds' but, if you hold onto your wristband, you'll be good for 2022.
Since then, the show has also been moved nearly 200 kilometres from Bingemans to Burl's Creek and it now seems the township and just about everyone else needed to sign-off on it say 'absolutely not.'
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“The OPP, the Simcoe [Muskoka] District Health Unit, the [Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario], our own EMS, municipal law — it's clear that all of those entities do not support this,” said Councillor Shawn Scott during a special council meeting last Thursday.
The list of issues, meantime, is a long one and with not a lot of time left on the clock town council suggests there isn't enough time left to make the required fixes.
“I would not want to see any event occur at Burl's Creek or anywhere else in the township either, that didn't meet those very basic standards and, as you can see […] there really is concern from virtually every agency,” said Oro-Medonte Mayor Harry Hughes.
“There isn't time that I can see to be able to rectify these issues.”
As for what happens next, festival organizers haven't had much to say to this point but, in a tweet, they say they are trying to appeal. They also say they are looking at what other options may exist to “ensure that EAMF occurs in 2022.”
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In a statement to CityNews however, a spokesperson for the township said there is no appeal process currently available.
However, they said if the organizers of Ever After Music Festival are able to satisfy all application requirements and get approval from involved agencies on the operational plan, council could potentially consider looking at the special event permit request again.
A request has been made for clarification from festival organizers but it has so far gone unanswered.
On August 4, Ever After Music Festival announced on social media that the event would not be happening.
A post read, “Adventurers, a full statement will be posted shortly but but the city will not allow EAMF22 to proceed on Aug 11th – 14th. We do not expect that to change at this time. Please plan accordingly.”
