The amazing spectacles that drew hundreds of people to the pond’s shores are costly events that take days to set up but have only run for two or three nights.
Artistic director David Maggs said a new approach is needed before hopefully returning to the pond in 2013.
He said the shows have the potential to become a distinct cultural component of summer in Corner Brook, but the festival needs more help from its partners to make it viable.
“We needed to step back from it this summer and negotiate with the key players to make it happen,” said Maggs.
Both the City of Corner Brook and the Corner Brook Stream Trail Development Corporation have been great supporters, he noted. The area where the shows are held is actually owned by Corner Brook Pulp and Paper, which Maggs said adds another dimension to organizing the event.
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“We just can’t keep doing it on our own and we need to come together and figure out how to stabilize this show,” Maggs said.
The plan is to find a way return in 2013 with a more permanent setup and more regularly scheduled performances throughout the summer, whether on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
Maggs hopes the “unanimous disappointment” he has met with so far from those who have heard of this year’s cancellation means there is a collective will to revive it next summer.
“People do realize it is a good asset and I think we can really start building those partnerships when people want to see it happen,” he said.
gkean@thewesternstar.com
Twitter: WS_GaryKean
