Falling dollar could have impact on Blues Fest, local entertainment scene

There could be a decidedly more Canadian flavour to this year’s Thunder Bay Blues Festival, with the Canadian dollar in the tank.

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium general manager Bob Halvorsen said the falling loonie will also have an impact on his ability to book American acts at the Auditorium.|

It’s just getting too expensive with the exchange, Halvorsen said.

“We are an importer of talent, and we’re an importer of talent primarily from the United States,” Halvorsen said.

“So anybody that imports things into the country is obviously going to be paying a lot more. Right now we’re looking at anywhere from 45 to 50 per cent more for artists coming into the building. And it’s definitely going to curtail our ability to present those artists.”

As recently as three years ago the dollar was trading above par against the U.S. greenback. But a steady collapse in oil prices and the Canadian economy’s dependency on the commodity had led the dollar on a downward spiral.

It’s now trading below 70 cents against the U.S. dollar, with some projections suggesting it might drop below 60 cents by year’s end.

While the Blues Festival has long embraced Canadian headliners like David Wilcox, Colin James and Great Big Sea, Americans have made up a bulk of the lineup each year.

In recent years the likes of Collective Soul, Buddy Guy, Blues Traveler and Los Lonely Boys have topped the bill.

At the Auditorium, acts like comedian Jay Leno and Dancing with the Stars cost a lot more than expected when the contract was originally signed, both paid out in American funds.

“It’s going to limit their choice,” Halvorsen said, asked what the impact might be for concertgoers in Thunder Bay.

“There’s no doubt about it. People in Thunder Bay, although they support Canadian artists, they like to see artists come from other countries, primarily the United States. And with the exchange rate difference right now, it’s definitely going to be a problem presenting those artists.”

It’s not as simple as just raising ticket prices, he added.

“I don’t think we could go any higher. People are conditioned to paying a certain ticket price for certain acts of certain quality. To all of a sudden have to pay 50 per cent more because of the exchange rate, I don’t think people are going to be very receptive to that,” Halvorsen said.

It means being more selective when booking acts from south of the border. Rather than old standbys like George Thoroughood, Alice Cooper or Collective Soul, he said it might make more sense to book more unique acts that have never played the city.