Curiosity around PMC’s mystery event won’t go away

Forget what is happening in Ottawa.

And, who cares if Trump can’t distinguish between Nikki Haley and Nancy Pelosi? Or Biden between the president of Egypt and the president of Mexico?

What Peterborough residents really want to know is what event was coming to the Memorial Centre from May 20 to June 10.

Until it wasn’t. Until the mayor cancelled it.

Now, few people would quibble with the reasons the mayor cancelled the event even if, as he claims, he doesn’t know what it was.

If he hadn’t made his wishes known to those who had booked the event, the Lakers would have had to postpone their home opener, the Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner find another location, and the Merit Precision junior-A Lakers start their season somewhere else.

A lot of local lacrosse players and sports fans would have been more than a little upset. In Peterborough, no politician wants that to happen unnecessarily.

But what was the event that was going to boot them all out of the Memorial Centre?

The announcement that the mystery event was cancelled was made on Friday, Feb. 2.

On Saturday, Feb. 3, hairdresser Marcy asked me what it was. “I haven’t a clue,” I told her. A week later, she asked again. I confessed that I still hadn’t a clue. That, in fact, I had forgotten all about it.

The next week, as she was applying shampoo, I announced that I had followed up with the mayor.

“What did he say?” she asked anxiously. The rest of the salon listened eagerly.

“That he doesn’t know,” I told her.

“What do you mean, he doesn’t know!”

“Just that. He doesn’t know. He says he’s heard it could be one of three things: a religious gathering, the shooting of episodes of ‘The Price is Right,’ or some sort of art show. He said, ‘Karan (his wife) wouldn’t be happy if she thought I had cancelled ‘The Price is Right.’ ”

Well, it is clear many curious minds around town wanted to know, even if the mayor didn’t. And we old newspaper reporters are nothing if not inside-dopesters.

So, back in harness one more time. And you are the first to know.

I haven’t even told Marcy (or the mayor) yet.

No, we weren’t all about to be saved. And, no, Karan has not lost a chance to play “The Price is Right” (good news for the mayor).

What we won’t have a chance to do, at least in Peterborough, is attend the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit.

This travelling sound and light show has most recently been pulling in audiences in Toronto.

It is essentially a pre-made movie complete with musical accompaniment of Van Gogh’s art projected on all four walls “to make a seamless immersive visual experience.”

Patrons sit on the floor or on tiers of seats to find themselves in the midst of a Van Gogh painting.

It has been variously described by those who have seen it as “a magical experience” or “pretty cool” or “I didn’t love it” or “a cheap appropriation of genius.”

At $35 to $45 a pop for tickets, perhaps “cheap” may not be the best adjective.

Perhaps, too, if the mayor had known what it was, he might have found another spot for it. Where that might be, I have no idea. That is his job.

I have done mine by reassuring him that he is not in trouble with Karan.