Music

Nova Scotia music festival cancelled for failing to submit medical plan

by Jeremy Mersereau

Slated to take place this July 8-10 in sunny Antigonish, Nova Scotia, the Evolve Music and Awareness Festival will now need to find a new venue to showcase its usual diverse lineup of acts, as its special event license has been revoked.

The Nova Scotian festival, which is in its 16th year and is dedicated to the idea of sustainable living, has hosted some top-shelf Canadian and international acts across a huge number of genres over the years, including The Rheostatics, Wintersleep, Rich Aucoin, and uh, Elizabeth May, who spoke at the 2007 edition of the festival. “Sick! Play “Bold Climate Action”, Mrs. May!”

Unfortunately, according to the Municipality of the County of Antigonish, festival organizers did not submit a detailed medical plan by February 1st – which was one of the requirements of their conditional permit issued last December, and thus, they’ve lost their event license.

A statement from the municipality reads that organizers were “officially made aware of the condition for a medical plan in September 2015 and discussed this and other conditions in person with municipal officials in October and November 2015,” and that “to date we have not received a medical plan to which [festival producer] Mr. Jonas Colter is willing to commit”. In addition to have been submitted by February 1st, the medical plan would also have had to be overseen by a licensed clinician. In other words, not exactly something that can be thrown together last minute.

Evolve’s event organizers will have to scramble to locate a new site for the festival if it’s to go ahead as planned. Not everyone is bummed about the news, however: by some, Evolve was seen less as an eclectic music festival with progressive environmental ideals, and more as a 4-day free-for-all drug binge… not that the fest didn’t earn that image when they attempted to introduce free tests for the quality of illicit drugs to ensure they weren’t tainted or a different drug entirely.

The line-up for the 2016 edition of the festival has not yet been revealed, but let’s go ahead and hope that organizers quickly find a new, N.S. venue for the event. Maybe Elizabeth May will do a rare b-side, like “Invest in Small Businesses.”

[h/t CBC]