MAGA Christian performer Sean Feucht has announced a new location for his Revive in 25 worship event on Sunday (Aug. 24).
Feucht revealed on social media that his event will now occur at 197 Clearbrook Rd. in south Abbotsford. The concert is scheduled to run from 2:45 p.m. to 5 p.m.
He had previously attempted to book a spot at Mill Lake Park, but that event permit was denied by the City of Abbotsford due to safety concerns.
Feucht initially stated that he would persuade the City of Abbotsford to approve the permit and lawyers from the Calgary-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms wrote a letter urging the City to reconsider the decision, but the City chose not to approve the event.
Abbotsford city manager Peter Sparnese explained in a letter to organizers that the open-air, free-of-charge and un-ticketed event would likely attract a significant number of protesters and counter-protesters in addition to event attendees.
"These elements, among others, make the community safety considerations of the proposed event extremely difficult to mitigate and I find that no permit conditions could adequately address the potential risks to the public," he wrote to event organizers.
Feucht's lawyers claimed the protests that have occurred during these series of concerts have been either non-existent or small and peaceful. They believed the City's concerns were exaggerated. They wanted the permit denial to be reversed or the City will open itself up to possible further legal action. The News did reach out to Feucht's lawyers for comments following the venue change, but they have not yet replied.
Permits for Feucht's tour have been revoked or rejected in several eastern Canadian cities – including Halifax, Charlottetown, Moncton, Quebec City, Gatineau and Vaughan – with authorities citing public safety and security concerns. A permit for his event in Winnipeg on Aug. 20 was denied, but it has also been moved to a private farm. Events in Saskatoon (Aug. 21), Edmonton (Aug. 22) and West Kelowna (Aug. 23) appear to be moving forward as scheduled.
The Clearbrook Road site was part of a House of Commons petition initiated by an Abbotsford man and adopted by Abbotsford MP Ed Fast in 2021. Former People's Party of Canada candidate Kevin Sinclair called for the elimination of toxic lead shotgun shell ammunition, spurred by the deaths of thousands of trumpeter swans at nearby Judson Lake.
Sinclair said at the time that the birds mistake the toxic lead shot in the lake floor as grit, and lead poisoning can appear as early as four days after they ingest it. The petition collected 1,156 signatures from June 1, 2021 to Aug. 30, 2021.
For more on the event, visit facebook.com/events/715289494597088.
