Vague reopening rules jeopardize launch of Rock the Park patio series
Preparations for this summer’s modified Rock the Park concert series are in limbo after a call from the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU).
Jones Entertainment Group has sold tickets for 16 events in a field next to Crossings Pub on Hyde Park Road starting July 2.
The grassy field will transform into a patio with 100 seats around physically distanced tables.
Each event will feature a different musical act on a nearby stage including Tim Hicks (July 2,3), The Reklaws (July 16,17) and The Trews (July 21-24).
But the future of the patio series has been thrown into uncertainty.
The health unit advised Jones on Monday that patio rules under the provincial reopening plan do not permit musical performances.
“We’ve got all of our permits and waivers (from city hall), explains Brad Jones. “To have them (MLHU) say no live music, but that karaoke is okay, that’s where I scratch my head.”
Ontario is currently in Step One, but could enter Step Two in time for the first performance.
The health unit points out, however, step two only permits karaoke on patios.
Alternatively, reclassifying the event as ‘outdoor entertainment’ provides little clarity at this time.
In a statement MLHU writes, “Once in Step 2, outdoor live music will be permitted with limits… (however) the Province has not provided details with regards to the capacity limits for outdoor live music performances.”
MLHU Road to Rock the Park statement
MLHU Road to Rock the Park statement
“Saying it’s just the rules as we interpret the vague rules, is b.s.,” says lawyer Phillip Millar who’s law firm is among the event’s sponsors. “And it’s time for people to step up and make the changes to start getting back to normal.”
Jones argues that his patio series is more than just entertainment for pandemic-weary Londoners, it’s a jumpstart for the live entertainment industry.
He’s hoping a provincial announcement in the coming days will offer details of Step Two rules, including the ability to hold the patio concert series.
“I don’t want to call this a karaoke series, I think it’s disrespectful to the world class artists,” Jones adds. “We just want to say Ontario government and health unit, let’s work together.”
Millar is pressing the provincial government to step in.
“There’s a huge role the province could play. To say we’re adopting the science that says outdoor activities organized like this pose no health risk.”
The Rock the Park patio series remains scheduled to start on July 2.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.