Comedian Ben Bankas’ I Said What I Said tour has hit another roadblock as his show scheduled for Sault Ste. Marie has been cancelled.The show, which was originally set to take place at the Sault Community Theatre Centre (SCTC) on March 6, was cancelled after the local theatre board reviewed Bankas’ content.“After a review of the performer’s material and careful consideration, we have determined that this event does not align with our theatre's stated values of respect, inclusion, and cultural diversity,” the SCTC said in an official statement.“The Sault Community Theatre Centre is committed to providing entertainment that welcomes and celebrates all members of our community.”Reacting to the news, Bankas said in an exclusive statement to the Western Standard that he “will continue to see people as equals and as fair game to be made fun of equally, especially for entertainment purposes.""Grown adults in a free and open society should not be told what they can and can’t find funny,” he said..WATCH: Comedian Ben Bankas gets cancelled by the ‘Gay Eagle’.“We will work to find a new venue in Sault Ste. Marie and anticipate selling it out very quickly."SCTC president Chris Rous has stated that his organization weighed the issue of the show’s cancellation carefully.“We take our responsibility to our patrons and our community very seriously,” Rous said.“We support artistic expression and diverse viewpoints, and we also recognize that our programming choices are a reflection of our values as a community institution. After careful consideration, we believe this cancellation is the right decision.”Bankas’ tour, which promises “an unfiltered night of comedy that says what everyone's thinking,” has previously faced criticism for jokes about indigenous people and residential schools.Chief Karen Bell of the Garden River First Nation had publicly opposed the SCTC performance, calling Bankas’s jokes about indigenous experiences “inaccurate” and “crude.”.At the time, Bankas addressed the situation on his Instagram account, saying, “Chief Karen... can’t make this up. Sault Ste. Marie, get tickets now before they pull them.”Bell told local media outlet SooToday that residential schools are not a subject for comedy and emphasized the trauma they inflicted.“Indian residential schools separated children from their families without the consent of parents, who didn’t even know where they were living,” Bell said..Responding to the criticism, Bankas said that, “to take away the right for grown adults to see a show they are excited to attend and treat them like children who need a scolding is a very dangerous road for us all. We are on the front lines of freedom of speech and artistic expression in Canada."Furthermore, we are making comedy for an adult audience, and we have recently performed to sold-out houses in Toronto at Meridian Hall (3,200 seats), in Montreal (900 seats), and in western Canada in Vancouver and in Calgary (1,700 seats), where there is clearly a huge appetite for the artistic expression of comedy we are creating.”Several of Bankas’ shows in Kelowna, Calgary, Thunder Bay, and North Bay have also been cancelled in recent months.In the case of Calgary, after the Grey Eagle Casino — located on the Tsuut’ina Nation — cancelled his Oct. 24 show following complaints about a social media video referencing residential schools, Bankas went on to perform eight sold-out sets — including a live podcast — at Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club at the Elbow River Casino.The SCTC has stated that all ticket holders for the Sault Ste. Marie show will receive full refunds automatically within five to seven days.
