Charlottetown residents who came to an information session Thursday evening looking for answers about a planned waterfront concert series left with nothing but questions.
The Charlottetown Downtown Resident Association held the public meeting at St. Paul’s Anglican Church Hall in Charlottetown to discuss details surrounding two concert series that will take place at Confederation Landing Park on the city’s waterfront this summer.
Association president Dave Brown said he invited members of city council, the city’s events development officer Wayne Long and who he referred to as show promoter Mark Fisher to speak.
But, as the meeting began, Brown informed the crowd that his invited guests would not be in attendance.
“It’s sad to say they decided to decline,” Brown said. “We don’t have any sitting councillors (tonight).”
The only invited representative from the city who spoke at the meeting was Charlottetown deputy police chief Brad MacConnell, who told the crowd of about 20 residents of general ways the police department can ensure that public safety is upheld during the time of the concerts. However, since he wasn’t given any details whatsoever about the concerts, he couldn’t give specific plans.
“Our main focus, as it has been in the past, will be to minimize the impact on the residents in the residual areas around the concert site.”
There were no details released at the meeting. The exact weekends for the two planned concert series have not been announced, nor have any of the performers.
Joan Cumming, a city resident of 30 years, said she was unimpressed with the lack of information.
“I must say I’m a bit disappointed that the people who are organizing this concert, and our local municipal officials, are not here,” she said during the session, “because I got the impression they were going to be here to tell us what it will be like.”
“The promoter, Mark Fisher, did indicate that he was going to be here this evening, but he didn’t show,” Brown replied. “I asked city council and they had other commitments.”
It’s inconvenient to attend a meeting where the expected guests aren’t there, she said.
“It’s a bit of a slap in face to the association if they don’t come. We planned our evening around coming here because we’re given the impression that it’s going to be a forum where our suggestions, regardless of positive or negative, are voiced,” she said. “It’s disappointing.”
The Guardian was contacted by Fisher Thursday evening following the information session. He said he was unaware of the date of the meeting, so he was not in attendance. He also said he is not the promoter of the event and works for the company that is promoting it, which is PMD Entertainment.
The Guardian asked Fisher about details about the upcoming concerts but was also left without answers.
