Quebec music festival cancelled after band accuses organizers of censorship

Members of the metal band Guhn Twei stand in front of the Horne copper smelter in Rouyn-Noranda, Que., in an undated handout photo. (William Brière Daigle/The Canadian Press handout)

A music festival in northwestern Quebec has been cancelled after a band accused organizers of censorship and kicking it out of the lineup.

Guhn Twei lead singer Simon Turcotte says the invitation to perform at the festival was rescinded because of the band's criticism of an arsenic-emitting copper smelter in the region.

Turcotte says the metal band was set to appear at the third edition of Alienfest in La Sarre, Que., in June, but last week an organizer nixed its participation citing a "conflict of interest."

Festival sponsor Metal Marquis is a supplier of the Horne Smelter in Rouyn-Noranda, Que., which in recent years has come under intense media and political scrutiny for its arsenic emissions.

Guhn Twei is a vocal critic of the smelter, with song lyrics that denounce the plant and its owner, Switzerland-based Glencore.

On Monday, Alienfest announced the event would not take place because of what the festival said were conflicts of interest between sponsors and participants.

But on Thursday the festival issued a second news release confirming there would be no future editions of the festival, a possibility they said was already under consideration before they cancelled the 2024 event.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published on April 4, 2024.