TIMELINE: Halifax concert cash
How did we get from the Rolling Stones concert to the resignation of a senior Halifax official and calls for a police investigation? Follow the key developments in the concert cash scandal.
Sept. 23, 2006 - Rolling Stones concert on the Halifax Common.
2008 - Halifax Regional Municipality advances Power Promotional Events Inc. (PPE) $950,000 through its Metro Centre account in advance of the Keith Urban Country Rockfest concert. The loan was repaid.
Aug. 30, 2008 - Country Rockfest 2008 (paid attendance of 11,853)
2009 - The Nova Scotia government guarantees a $3.5-million "artist fee" payment to PPE for a Paul McCartney concert. The money was repaid through ticket sales.
2009 - Department of Tourism provides PPE with a $300,000 grant and $300,000 repayable loan based on ticket sales. The loan was not repaid because not enough tickets were sold.
2009 - PPE receives a $2.4-million cash advance from HRM to promote the KISS concert. The money came through the Metro Centre account. The advance was repaid from ticket sales.
July 11, 2009 - Paul McCartney concert (paid attendance of 26,504)
July 18, 2009 - KISS concert (paid attendance of 21,402)
January-July 2010 - HRM advances PPE $1.8 million through the Metro Centre account for working capital for upcoming Halifax Rocks and Country Rockfest concerts. That amount was fully repaid.
June 30, 2010 - PPE owner Harold MacKay announces the cancellation of the Kid Rock concert scheduled for July 23, the first day of Halifax Rocks. No reason is given.
July 8, 2010 - Wayne Anstey becomes acting chief administrative officer when Dan English retires.
July 21, 2010 - Anstey, MacKay and Mayor Peter Kelly meet. Later that day, Anstey issues two cheques totalling $400,000 to PPE as a repayable grant if certain ticket targets are met. The money is funnelled through Metro Centre.
July 24, 2010 - The Black Eyed Peas headlines Halifax Rocks 2010 — now a one-day event. (paid attendance of 8,362).
Aug. 6-7, 2010 - Country Rockfest 2010 (paid attendance of 10,009).
Sept. 30, 2010 - Halifax Metro Centre sends Anstey an invoice for $359,550 (the balance of funds remaining from the $400,000).
October 2010 - PPE goes out of business.
March 3, 2011 - Cathie O'Toole, the municipality's chief financial officer, learns from Anstey that HRM owes Metro Centre Ltd. $359,550 because the grant to PPE wasn't repaid.
March 10, 2011 - The HRM's audit and finance committee learns of the cash advances from O'Toole and Larry Munroe, the municipal auditor general.
March 15, 2011 - Taxpayers learn of the unauthorized payments to PPE for the 2010 concerts when council documents are released.
March 17, 2011 - Anstey announces his immediate resignation as acting chief administrative officer, one day after saying he would stay until the end of June.
March 18, 2011 - O'Toole announces she's leaving to take a job with the municipal water commission. She says the decision was made before the concert issue became public, but the scandal confirmed she made the right choice.
March 18, 2011 - The talent agency that represents Kid Rock says it wants some kind of remedy for the cancellation of his concert, given that there were secret payments to bail out the Black Eyed Peas show. The demand from Creative Artists Agency comes in the form of a letter addressed to several councillors.
March 28, 2011 - Richard Butts named CAO of municipality. Previously, he was deputy city manager of Toronto.
June 7, 2011 - Report by auditor general released. Munroe says Kelly and Anstey risked taxpayers' money and didn't flag concerns. He also says Scott Ferguson, CEO of Trade Centre Ltd., which runs the Metro Centre, was an active participant. He makes 50 recommendations, such as ethics training for council.
June 14, 2011 - As Facebook groups critical of the cash-for-concerts deal sprout up, Coun. Linda Mosher puts forward a motion requesting a police review and public inquiry. Council votes that down 15-7.
June 16, 2011 - MacKay issues statement saying he did nothing wrong. He says he followed the terms of the contract by paying the $40,000 rental fee for the Halifax Common and repaying $450 based on the formula for ticket sales.
June 21, 2011 - In a 17-3 vote, council rejects an attempt by Coun. Sue Uteck to have the mayor suspended for a week.
June 28, 2011 - About 100 people rally in Halifax to demand Kelly's resignation. They say he should be held accountable for his role in the concert scandal.