Officials with the local Shrine club are pleased with the public support following the news for the first time in years, they will not have their name on the annual May circus.
Shriner Grant Poulin confirms it is over a payment dispute with the promoter; however, for legal reasons he was not able to get into details.
Poulin explained “the circus will still be here, and you will still be able to go “but just so (you) know that if you go to the circus, you’re not supporting the Lakehead Shrine Club.”
The local Shriner tells us as a result of the move; the local club will not be receiving their annual charity allocation from the circus organizers.
Poulin says it he started to get suspicious in November he tried calling the promoter and received no callback or text.
Then the Khartum Shrine in Winnipeg, which has jurisdiction in northwestern Ontario, told Poulin earlier in the year about the situation and by February with no return call from the promoter, he realized “the dispute was on.”
Poulin points out support in the community has been positive.
He says people are telling him they are sorry there will be no Shrine Circus and some have indicated they will not be supporting the private circus as a result.
