Read the full statement from the board of directors of Ottawa’s reggae festival

August 24, 2010 · Filed Under Festivals in the News, News

By Peter Simpson, The Big Beat

As you may have already read, Ottawa’s three-year-old reggae festival, which has long been the subject of rumours about financial problems, collapsed into insolvency on the weekend. The sheriff literally showed up to grab what meagre dollars could be had from the gate and beer tents. You can read a story about it by clicking here. Below is the full statement from the festival’s board of directors, issued Sunday night and again on Monday afternoon.

Not sure where all the money went, but it sure didn’t go to publicity and marketing. Until The Citizen published a small advance story late last week, I hadn’t seen a single news release, advertisement, facebook post, tweet or news story anywhere about this festival. Nor did I hear any of the legions of music fans in the city that I know mention anything about it.

Ottawa Reggae Festival – Official Statement

Ottawa – August 22nd, 2010

The Ottawa Reggae Festival is run by its’ Board of Directors which sees Benjamin Williams, the boards Chair, as the festival’s president.

In the role of festival president, Mr. Williams’ youth and inexperience caused him to make decisions that were ambitious, and ill advised. His financial decisions were made without consultation, and ended up costing the festival its’ reputation, and put him in ‘over his head.’