Despite city council’s recent commitments of more money and less red tape for Calgary festivals city administration is punting the Calgary International Blues Festival out of its regular space to make way for LRT construction. Former alderman and mayoral candidate Jon Lord says when it comes to this summer’s Bluesfest the city is putting “pavement before people.”
The festival which organizers expect to attract 25000 visitors this year has been held for the last three years adjacent to the Pumphouse Theatre. But after Bluesfest organizers signed contracts with major acts for the August 5 to 8 festival they were informed by the city that they could not use their regular festival space because it will be used as a staging ground for construction of the west LRT. Instead the city offered the festival space in Shaw Millennium Park which Lord points out is not a suitable facility.
“It is a much smaller venue” Lord says. “There are a number of logistical challenges — they won’t be able to use their tents and [Shaw Millennium Park] may not be able to accommodate all the people… It has created a financial challenge which they have been able to overcome but it makes things more difficult.”
After receiving the news organizers were hoping to use Prince’s Island Park as an alternate venue but were told by the city that it wasn’t available because even though there aren’t any events scheduled for the August-long weekend maintenance is scheduled for the park on the same weekend. “Given the circumstances and the very short notice the city should be bending over backwards to accommodate them” Lord says. “This is a perfect opportunity for the city to demonstrate that they really are in support of festivals.”
Beth Gignac manager of arts and culture with the City of Calgary says Bluesfest organizers knew in November that they would not be able to use the Pumphouse location – a City of Calgary roads department work yard – and her department has been working hard to find them a suitable alternate venue. “We took their concerns [about Shaw Millenium Park] seriously” Gignac says. “We are coming up with a list of other potential sites and we will take the organizers out to have a look at them.”
As for the Pumphouse site — which Lord points out festival organizers have put substantial investment into things like landscaping because they were under the impression it would be the festival’s permanent home — all hope isn’t lost for the festival’s future. Gignac says she told organizers that if they liked that location the city would take the festival’s needs into consideration when redesigning the Pumphouse Theatre site.
Despite some sour warm-up notes the blues festival i s shaping up to boast a stunning line-up with headliners including Little Feat David Clayton Thomas and Alberta’s Lester Quitzau.
Tomorrow (May 4) at 5 p.m. at the Auburn Saloon festival organizers will unveil the rest of this year’s Bluesfest line-up. Lord will be there as a blues fan and a supporter of Calgary festivals.
A founder of Marda Loop’s festival Lord says: “Festivals build strong communities. It is important that the City of Calgary works hard to foster local and citywide festivals because that is what improves our quality of life.”