[movingtohamilton]

This thread is both culture, general, and maybe scandal.

YourHamiltonBiz.com reported today that HECFI is suing the Canadian Ballet Youth Ensemble (aka Hamilton Ballet Youth Ensemble) for not paying approx $50,000 for their performance of The Nutcracker in 2011. They allegedly "failed to pay all costs and expenses agreed to", pursuant to a rental agreement.

What is with this ongoing Tivoli Theatre nonsense? The narrative appears to be this:

The underlying Foundation, Hamilton Ballet Youth Ensemble, bought the heritage building, for $2.00

The Foundation got a grant for $20,000, to study the potential uses for the property.

The building was suitable but needed some stabilization and improvements, and the Foundation got another grant: $75,000.

A wall collapsed, and the City of Hamilton spent $300,000 to demolish that wall.

The roof needed work, so a interest-free loan was given by the City to fix it. Interest -free.

The Foundation is a charity, and apparently pays no property taxes.

So all in all, a $2.00 building and $400,000 in grants and expenditures has come from the taxpayer.

But wait, there's more.

The Foundation allegedly plans to transfer its major asset, the Tivoli Theatre building, to a property company owned by the husband of the Foundation's Director.

Now the Foundation is being sued for allegedly being dead-beats.

How could there not be a conflict of interest in that possible property transfer?

Why is this whole affair not being put under a microscope?

What say you?