Community members in Sydney, N.S., are outraged that a craft show has bumped this year's Remembrance Day ceremonies from the town's largest indoor venue.
Centre 200 arena has hosted the ceremonies for free the past two years. However, Remembrance Day falls on a Friday this year, which happens to be the same day of an annual craft show at the 5,000-seat facility. As a result, the Sydney Legion was forced to relocate plans to the smaller, 1,300-seat Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion.
Legion president Stephen MacLennan says he's been overwhelmed by the public support over the forced change, after CTV Atlantic reported the story on Monday.
"I've received lots of calls and emails in reference to the story," he told CTV Atlantic on Tuesday. "Obviously, a lot of people feel very strongly about losing Centre 200."
MacLennan says he wasn't told about the venue's scheduling conflict until last week.
Centre 200 manager Paul MacDonald says Legion members were notified about the conflict months ago, and told they would need to find another venue. He blamed a breakdown in communication at the Legion for the mixup. "It turns into a mess and that's where we are now," he told CTV Atlantic.
Paul added that the craft show has been held on the same weekend for the last 15 years, while Remembrance Day celebrations only started at the venue in 2014.
Remembrance Day was on a Tuesday in 2014 and a Wednesday in 2015. It falls on a Friday this year.
MacLennan says there are no hard feelings over the incident, despite the loss of venue.
However, some angry Sydney residents are calling for a boycott of the craft show. Others are questioning whether it should be allowed to run at all, because Nova Scotia has a law barring many types of businesses from operating on Remembrance Day.
According to the provincial government's website, retail stores are prohibited from doing business if they have more than three employees working at a time on Nov. 11. "Most grocery stores, big box stores and retail malls must close on Nov. 11," the website says.
The Remembrance Day Act includes exceptions for important businesses like gas stations, drug stores, hotels and small shops.
Home Crafters president Susan MacDonald says she and other members of the group have received threats and hate mail over the past 48 hours. They fear the days ahead will only be worse.
“Hell, pure hell,” she told CTV Atlantic. “If we are getting this kind of negativity and hate mail now, what’s it going to escalate to?”
MacDonald is standing up for the crafters and the show, despite the backlash.
“They don’t deserve to be treated this way,” she said.
“These are home crafters. Tiny little crafters who depend on this show, some of them to get through winter for oil and heat because they knitted all year and are going to sell it at the fair.”
The craft show organizers have already committed between $23,000 and $25,000 for the fair and now have to add security costs, but the show will go on.
The three-day craft show will start on the afternoon of Nov. 11, once Remembrance Day ceremonies are finished.
