Celtic Colours board of directors fired amid allegations of ‘toxic’ environment

A Nova Scotia music festival known around the world for its Celtic talent and colourful views is caught up in a controversy.

On Saturday, members of the society that runs the Celtic Colours International Festival – an October tradition on Cape Breton Island since 1997 – fired its entire board of directors.

Musician J.P. Cormier, who has performed in Celtic Colours for years, said it’s about time.

“Just disgusted, and at the same time, elated that the society decided to can these guys,” Cormier said on Tuesday. “I’ve watched the staff at the office in Sydney for years now, literally some of them in tears because they can’t get anything done because the board just fights them on every turn.”

“The words they used to us were, ‘It’s become toxic. I can’t do this anymore,'” said Jackie Scott, a Celtic Colours Festival Society member and former board chair.

Scott says there has been a large exodus of employees and the problems included management competency issues that affected the product and visitor experience.

“When they (visitors and sponsors) start commenting, ‘This is not what they expected. It’s not like what it used to be,'” Scott said. “There were failings that they were seeing in terms of the management, not the artistic stuff.”

The Men of the Deeps have performed at Celtic Colours for years and are now concerned about the festival’s future.

“I have no idea of the inner workings, but I hope the problems can be worked out and it doesn’t jeopardize the festival because it would be a shame to lose a festival like that,” said Men of the Deeps member Nipper MacLeod.

In an email, Leanne Birmingham-Beddow, CEO of Celtic Colours, told CTV Atlantic the board of directors is not recognizing Saturday’s meeting of some society members.

Birmingham-Beddow said the board is not sure whether all society members were properly notified and if the bylaws were followed, and as far as they are concerned, any motions that were voted on have no legal standing within the society.

“They’re going to litigate to keep their jobs on the board?” Cormier said. “If they (the Board) are volunteers, why wouldn’t they just walk away? What are they fighting for?”

In a letter to the general membership dated Dec. 5 – and provided to CTV Atlantic – the Celtic Colours board proposed what they referred to as an “Extraordinary General Meeting” for Jan. 4 or 11.

Scott said the likely next step is that lawyers will confer.

The next Celtic Colours is set to take place Oct. 10 to 18, 2025.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.