A Canada Day-eve concert featuring Shawn Desman will be open to the public.

Wasaga Beach council was to consider a motion at its Tuesday meeting to make the concert free, after ticket sales proved disappointing.

The town issued a news release Monday morning, ahead of the meeting, announcing the change. The motion to be considered also includes a request to approve a $53,000 budget adjustment for the beachfront management committee to cover the shortfall for the entire Canada Day weekend.

At the June 14 co-ordinated committee meeting, councillors were told 17 tickets had been sold. The beachfront management board recommended the concert be a free event.

Those who purchased tickets will be reimbursed, and people who won tickets through radio promotions will be invited to a “meet and greet” with Desman.

The cost specific to Desman’s appearance was $69,000 to his management company, plus $4,500 for security. The town also spent approximately $16,000 to promote his concert.

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Deputy mayor Nina Bifolchi said the decision to hire Desman was “hasty,” and the board failed to “educate themselves on what entertainment our residents and visitors are interested in.”

“The town hires staff to be in the loop of what people want,” she said. “It makes staff’s job very difficult when a board dictates who they are to engage as entertainment and then gives staff a less-than-adequate budget to market them.”

Mayor Brian Smith said while he expects the beachfront management board to “take it on the chin,” the organization of the concert will be a learning experience for the board and municipal staff.

“I think all-in-all it will be a great event and bring people to Wasaga Beach,” he said. “I think the economic impact will be there; it’s unfortunate the tickets didn’t sell.

“It’s always easy to point fingers after the fact; I’m not happy about it, but we’ll move forward and won’t make the same mistake again.”

Smith said it could come down to researching artists who have a broader appeal.

“This is all fairly new to us and we need to learn what fits. This has been an experience we will learn from,” he said.