Celtic Colours show cancelled after power goes out

There were some very disappointed Celtic Colours International Festival-goers in Cape Breton Saturday night.

The sold-out Kelly's Dream concert in Boularderie was cancelled after the power went out.

The festival's executive director, Joella Foulds, said it was the first time in the event's 19 years that they've had to cancel.

"We didn't have any choice because it was a safety issue," she explained. "The fact that there was no electricity in a school setting meant there was no sprinkler system and not even any proper exit lights."

The power went out at 6:45 p.m., just 45 minutes before show time. Thousands were left in the dark, many with Thanksgiving turkeys in the oven, in North Sydney, Sydney Mines, Florence and scores of smaller communities nearby. 

Beverley Ware, Nova Scotia Power's communications officer, said the trouble originated with "arcing and sparking" on the line outside the Gannon Road substation in North Sydney."It turns out it was a switch that was burning," she said.

Festival offers some refunds 

Power was cut to the feeder lines to prevent more damage and to allow crews to safely replace the switch. Ware said once that issue was solved, another arose.

"When they went to re-energize the line, there was a problem with the breaker," she said. The breaker wouldn't close to complete the circuit. Crews had to be dispatched to two other substations to re-route power.

The lights finally came back on after midnight.

Foulds said Celtic Colours has offered to reimburse ticket-holders to the Kelly's Dream show or offer them tickets to another concert this week. She is not sure how much that will end up costing the festival, but it may ask NSP for compensation.

NSP has told CBC it has not heard from Celtic Colours, but will speak with the festival directly on this issue now that it has been made aware of what happened.