Shows cancelled due to safety concerns at theatre near Vancouver encampment
A local funk band says a venue in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside cancelled the booking for an upcoming show because the sidewalk outside has become part of the Hastings Street homeless encampment.
Soulstream drummer Randall Stoll booked their Oct. 8 show at The Imperial back in March, and says MRG Live, the company that manages the venue, emailed him a few days ago to say it could no longer host.
”Imperial contacted me and said because the homelessness and the violence is right on their doorstep, they didn’t feel it was safe for their staff, the artists or the clients coming in, so they stopped having all events,” said Stoll.
There are now multiple tents and needle collection bins just steps from The Imperial's entrance, which is a block from Hastings and Main. Stoll said when he posted about the show’s cancellation on the band’s Facebook page, some fans were relieved.
“They weren’t looking forward to standing out there waiting for a cab and not feeling safe,” said Stoll, who has stopped going to restaurants in the area because the environment has become toxic.
Jeff Guignard with the Alliance of Beverage Licensees says this should serve as a wake-up call for all levels of government.
“No matter what you think about the complex causes of these issues, we really feel that citizens should be seriously concerned for what it means for a place like Vancouver when a business says it can no longer operate safely in the city,” he said.
While The Imperial is the first live venue to close because of safety concerns, Guignard is worried it won’t be the last.
“Our concern is this is the canary in the coal mine, and this is going to expand and we will see more venues doing this,” he said. “From an industry perspective, this is very serious, and it needs to be addressed urgently.”
Soulstream is now looking for a new venue and working on refunding people who bought tickets to the show at the Imperial.
“I think it’s sad for all the artists, all the business, and obviously for the people that are down there suffering,” said Stoll. “It’s a sad story, no matter how you look at it.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.