Moncton mayor denies big-act rivalry
Posted by lesmuise on February 15, 2008
By AMY PUGSLEY FRASER City Hall Reporter
Fri. Feb 15 - 5:41 AM
If there’s a rivalry between Halifax and Moncton, the mayor of the New Brunswick city says he’s not aware of it.
The two cities have been jostling behind the scenes, each hoping to
secure an Eagles concert for an outdoor venue this summer. The country-rock legends are rumoured to be playing Aug. 2 in Moncton, which also beat out Halifax last year in their battle to host the Tim McGraw-Faith Hill country concert.
But Moncton Mayor Lorne Mitton says there’s nothing personal against Halifax in his city’s bid to attract concerts.
“Some of the media reports say that we’re ‘outbidding’ one another, and that’s not quite true,” he said from Moncton city hall on Thursday.
“We’re not out there competing against anyone. Really, we’re out there selling our venue, not trying to outdo anybody.”
Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly told The Chronicle Herald on Wednesday that he had brought in a New York promoter to help the city secure big-name acts for outdoor shows this summer.
“It’s about trying to meet some of the public’s expectations when it comes to concerts, so we need to try some innovative and new and unique ways to do so,” Mr. Kelly said.
Mr. Mitton said Halifax has proven itself a capable host of numerous sports events.
“You’ve had big curling events in the Metro Centre, which can hold 10,000 people,” he said, noting that Moncton’s Coliseum seats only 7,000.
“And your big hockey event coming up, well, we’d love to have that,” he said, referring to the world hockey championship in May.
“So there are things that Halifax can do that Moncton can’t do, and we understand that.”
Meanwhile, Dartmouth promoter Harold MacKay said Moncton hasn’t actually won the latest concert war — yet. He said there’s still a chance the Eagles could fly to Halifax instead.
“It’s still not over yet,” he said.
“There’s nothing inked yet.”
Encouraging a band to come to town is an extremely long process, Mr. MacKay said. “You have to convince the agency, and then they have to convince the manager, who then has to convince the band.”
That might be difficult right now because an industry insider says all the concert commotion created in Halifax recently is stirring up bad feelings about the city, and the area in general.
“People read newspapers from cities they plan to play in,” the insider said.
Halifax found that out last fall when Celine Dion pulled out of a concert slated for next August on the Commons. Her husband, Rene Angelil, blamed negative public response and newspaper coverage for the cancellation.
“Even before the sale of 20,000 tickets, journalists have to write that it was a place for the Rolling Stones to rock, not Celine Dion,” Mr. Angelil told a French-language online newspaper. “So if we are not welcome in Halifax, we won’t come.”
That news spread in entertainment circles and cast a negative light on Halifax, the insider said.
“It doesn’t create a good environment for Halifax.”
Confusion in the marketplace over who is booking concerts for Halifax doesn’t help either, a regional councillor said.
That’s especially true now that the mayor has committed to a New York promoter after council had already secured Events Halifax to do the job, said Coun. Harry McInroy (Cole Harbour).
Last spring, council signed a memorandum of understanding with Events Halifax to have the provincial agency book up to three outdoor summer concerts.
“Now we have every Tom, Dick and Harry — but not this Harry — involved in this thing and it’s an absolute mess,” Mr. McInroy said. “We have too many cooks in the kitchen and most of them don’t know how to cook.
“I think council has to make it absolutely clear that nobody, including the mayor, negotiates on behalf of . . . council — that it’s Events Halifax or we make some other arrangement.”
At Province House, Premier Rodney MacDonald said the Country Rocks 2008 concert featuring Keith Urban on the Commons on Aug. 30 will be good for the city.
“That is going to be a significant draw from across the province,” Mr. MacDonald said.
The premier said work is being done to bring more events this way.
With Amy Smith, provincial reporter
March 15, 2008 at 4:56 pm
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