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The fallout of Line Spike will likely be greater than the music festival itself.
Once everything was packed up and cleared, the two-day festival on the first full weekend of July in Harrowsmith ended up being more than $225,000 in the red.
Organizer Jeffery Campbell says he wasn’t expected to make a penny off the event but found the final tab to be a real eye-opener.
Campbell adds he isn’t concerned about the loss, but needs to settle that debt before he can organize another event.
One thing that unravelled for Campbell and the event was the Township of South Frontenac revoking the liquor license three days before the event began.
Campbell says he had everything in place before the Township pulled the rug from under him.
Township CAO Louise Fragnito defended the decision to pull the liquor license from the event saying the organizer made changes to the arrangements with emergency services that had altered the municipally significant designation.
Fragnito says a group made up of several agencies including police, paramedics, and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario reviewed the plan.
Fragnito says both parties continued to work out an agreement that would allow Line Spike to obtain a liquor license.
With no ability to sell alcohol, Campbell announced on Facebook that patrons were welcome to bring their own alcoholic beverages.
He says many of the vendors and suppliers that had committed to the event also pulled out as a result of the liquor license removal.
The lineup for Line Spike featured a who’s who of Canadian artists: Burton Cummings, Walk Off the Earth, Alan Frew, and more.
Despite the hurdles, Campbell says reaction to the event has been mostly positive.
Story by Ken Hashizume
