Local
      Businesses
      the
      Real
      Losers
      During
      ECMA
      Weekend
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      The
      Editor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      many
      months
      /leading
     
     
      up
      to
      the
      event,
      the
      East
      Coast
     
     
      Music
      Awards
      (ECMAs)
      were
     
     
      expected
      to
      bring
      millions
      of
      dol-
     
     
      lars
      into
      Charlottetown’s
      economy.
     
     
      This
      expectation,
      however,
      turned
     
     
      out
      to
      be
      the
      complete
      opposite
      of
     
     
      what
      really
      happened.
     
    

    
     
      According
      to
      estimates
      that
     
     
      were
      released
      on
      Monday,
      February
     
     
      12th,
      Charlottetown
      businesses
     
     
      were
      thought
      to
      have
      lost
      $1.8
      mil-
     
     
      lion
      over
      the
      four
      days
      of
      the
     
     
      ECMA
      weekend.
     
    

    
     
      These
      numbers
      have
      been
     
     
      attributed
      to
      many
      unforeseen
     
    

    
     
      problems
      related
      to
      the
      musicians
     
     
      which
      occurred
      throughout
      the
     
     
      weekend.
     
    

    
     
      Many
      hotels,
      which
      were
     
     
      expected
      to
      make
      some
      of
      the
     
     
      largest
      profits
      from
      the
      weekend,
     
     
      have
      lost
      thousands
      due
      to
      property
     
     
      damage
      and
      theft
      in
      the
      rooms.
      “We
     
     
      had
      performers
      trashing
      their
      hotel
     
     
      rooms
      all
      weekend,”
      said
      Norman
     
     
      MacLean,
      a
      representative
      for
      the
     
     
      Delta
      Prince
      Edward
      Hotel.
     
    

    
     
      “I
      don’t
      want
      to
      name
      any
     
     
      names,”
      said
      MacLean,
      “but
      a
     
     
      group
      whose
      name
      rhymes
      with
     
     
      ‘The
      Dennis
      Misters’
      checked
      out
     
     
      of
      their
      room
      after
      having
      put
      the
     
     
      television
      set
      in
      a
      bathtub
      full
      of
     
     
      water
      and
      pouring
      a
      case
      of
      cheap
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wine
      all
      over
      the
      carpet,
      sheets,
      and
     
     
      curtains.”
     
    

    
     
      “Also,
      a
      certain
      singer
     
     
      whose
      name
      rhymes
      with
      Stan
     
     
      Furry
      stole
      her
      mini-bar.
      And
      I’m
     
     
      not
      just
      talking
      about
      the
      contents.
      I
     
     
      mean
      the
      whole
      thing.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      hotels,
      explains
     
     
      MacLean,
      must
      shoulder
      the
      bur-
     
     
      den
      of
      the
      damage
      done
      to
      the
      hotel
     
     
      rooms
      for
      fear
      of
      the
      repercussions
     
     
      they
      may
      face
      if
      they
      send
      the
     
     
      artists
      large
      bills.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      problem
      with
      high-
     
     
      profile
      stars
      like
      Stan
      and
      the
     
     
      Misters,”
      said
      MacLean,
      “is
      that
      if
     
     
      they
      feel
      wronged,
      then
      they
      could
     
     
      use
      their
      star
      power
      to
      publicly
     
     
      humiliate
      us.
      Then
      nobody
      would
     
     
      come
      to
      our
      hotel.
      So
      for
      the
      sake
     
     
      of
      good
      business,
      we
      have
      to
      let
     
     
      them
      get
      away
      with
      it.”
     
    

    
     
      Charlottetown
      bars
      have
     
     
      also
      felt
      the
      pinch
      after
      the
      ECMA
     
     
      weekend.
     
    

    
     
      Steven
      Jewison,
      a
      bartender
     
     
      at
      Baba’s
      Lounge
      explained
      that
     
     
      there
      were
      some
      unexpected
      costs
     
     
      that
      came
      with
      having
      many
      more
     
     
      live
      performers
      than
      usual.
     
    

    
     
      “Well,
      for
      one
      thing,
      we
     
     
      didn’t
      think
      we
      had
      to
      pay
      them,”
     
     
      said
      Jewison.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      had
      about
      twenty
     
     
      bands
      play
      here
      over
      the
      past
      four
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MICKEY
      ACORN’S
     
     
      FIVE
      TIPS
      TO
     
     
      HALLWAY
      SAFETY
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      days
      and
      every
      one
      of
      them
      expect-
     
     
      ed
      to
      get
      paid,”
      said
      Stevens.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      thought
      they
      were
     
     
      coming
      down
      for
      the
      weekend
      any-
     
     
      way,”
      added
      Stevens.
      “We
      were
     
     
      giving
      them
      a
      venue.
      But
      they
      all
     
     
      expected
      a
      cut
      of
      the
      door.”
     
    

    
     
      When
      asked
      how
      he
      felt
     
     
      about
      having
      to
      pay
      the
      bands,
     
     
      Jewison
      said,
      “I
      feel
      exploited!
      And
     
     
      I
      wouldn’t
      have
      gotten
      any
      of
      that
     
     
      money
      anyway!”
     
    

    
     
      All
      of
      this
      comes
      as
      quite
      a
     
     
      shock
      to
      certain
      members
      of
      the
     
     
      community.
     
    

    
     
      Mayor
      George
      MacDonald,
     
     
      upon
      hearing
      about
      the
      results
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      weekend,
      said,
      “I
      can’t
      believe
     
     
      how
      ignorant
      all
      these
      musicians
     
     
      are.
      This
      is
      appalling.
      Just
     
     
      appalling.
      Here
      we
      are
      celebrating
     
     
      them
      and
      they
      are
      exploiting
      us.
     
     
      Just
      exploiting-us.”
     
    

    
     
      Indeed,
      exploitation
      seems
     
     
      to
      be
      the
      word
      that
      best
      describes
     
     
      the
      weekend.
     
    

    
     
      “Tt
      seems
      as
      though
      nobody
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -understands
      what
      this
      weekend
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
      about,”
      said
      a
      musician
      who
      wishes
     
     
      to
      remain
      anonymous
      (whose
      name
     
     
      rhymes
      with
      Richard
      Wood).
     
     
      “Musicians
      are
      supposed
      to
      exploit.
     
     
      That’s
      our
      job.
      That’s
      why
      there
      are
     
     
      thirty
      different
      music
      award
      shows.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1.
      Walk
      on
      the
      right
      side
      of
      the
      hallway
      to
      create
      two
      lanes.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2.
      Always
      walk
      down
      hallways
      at
      a
      good
      pace.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      3.
      Turn
      widely
      around
      corners
      to
      prevent
      collisions.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      4.
      Never
      stop
      suddenly
      in
      a
      crowded
      hallway.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      5.
      Give
      people
      who
      use
      wheelchairs
      plenty
      of
      room.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      more
      handy
      tips,
      send
      Mickey
      $5
      cash
      c/o
      The
      Cadre.