After news that Elliot Lake music promoter Corey McKenzie was forced to cancel the Atomic Musicfest heavy Metal show, Elliot Lake Mayor Dan Marchisella had expressed strong support for his efforts.
On his company website - AstroRabbit Entertainment - Mackenzie is currently soliciting contact information from ticketholders seeking a refund.
Reached in Ottawa where he's attending the annual conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Marchisella told ElliotLakeToday, "It is disheartening that it has been cancelled. I know that Mr. McKenzie poured his heart into this concept, with a hope for enough community support to be able to help some of our local charitable organizations."
Some three weeks ago McKenzie announced he was postponing the event originally scheduled for Aug. 9 to 11 at Elliot Lake's Mount Dufour Ski Hill. He indicated he was re-grouping.and planning to announce an alternate date for the show, likely in September. Tuesday, he posted a notice on social media and his company website saying the Atomic MusicFest had been cancelled. He also promised to refund all the ticket money by the end of September and offered his apologies for how things turned out.
Marchisella went on, "I am always in support of someone trying to bring forward new ideas and events that can benefit the social well-being of our community. The spirit of an entrepreneur is to try new concepts, and if it doesn’t work out, re-jig, re-think and try again."
"Perhaps with some partnerships and a team effort, we will see this concept come back in future years. I hope this effort, followed by having to cancel the event doesn’t damage the reputation of AstroRabbit or stop Mr. McKenzie from continuing to bring alternative forms of entertainment to the community," Marchisella said. "Both myself and my council will continue to support initiatives that promote economic opportunities and enhance the social well-being for all the residents of Elliot Lake."