Some Halifax residents are outraged after hearing of plans for a Remembrance Day party at a downtown cabaret.
The event was called the ‘Poppy Party’ but management at The Palace Nightclub has since put a stop to it.
A page promoting the event, which takes place Nov. 11, recently popped up on Facebook - followed by a slew of comments expressing disgust over the so-called ‘Poppy Party.’
“Shame on you Palace,” wrote one Facebook user.
“You want to throw a party on the anniversary day of one of the bloodiest, terrible, most horrific wars in history ended?” wrote another.
Jean Marie Deveaux, president of the Nova Scotia-Nunavut Command, heard about the party Thursday morning after attending a poppy event with the lieutenant-governor.
“It’s a disgrace and disrespectful to the presently-serving members overseas and to all our veterans of all sorts who are here,” says Deveaux.
“The poppy stands for remembrance.”
Peter Martell, the general manager of The Palace Nightclub, only heard about the Facebook page when he arrived at work around noon.
“I find it offensive. I have nothing but respect for our veterans and armed forces,” he says.
Martell says The Palace had nothing to do with the Facebook page, or the event itself. He says a promoter did it without first clearing it with bar management.
The reaction to the ‘Poppy Party’ was swift and blunt on Facebook, and also on the streets of Halifax, where people mostly had negative things to say about the event.
“It’s a little disrespectful…that’s an understatement,” says one area resident.
“It seems a little sketchy, because it’s like celebrating something that should not be celebrated,” says another.
Martell has since cancelled the event altogether.
“We’ll be open, but there’s no way it’s going to be associated with anything called a ‘Poppy Party.’”
Both Martell and CTV News were unable to contact the promoters, whom Martell identified as AMG.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Rick Grant
