By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)
IFCon Victoria which was to be held at the G. R. Pearkes Recreation Centre over the Halloween weekend has been cancelled. An announcement was made today on IFCon’s Facebook page by Bob Lynn, a long-time friend of executive convention producer Bill Code:
“My name is Bob Lynn – I have been a friend of Bill Code for 27 years and I have been asked to post this notice and the following information.
For the past 16 months, Bill has dedicated all his time, effort, energy and every cent he has earned into this project to the tune of over $ 84,000.00.
Last Sunday, Bill collapsed on the floor and had to be rushed to the hospital and admitted to Emergency. Today, he has been transferred to intensive care and will be taken into surgery later today. He is fighting for his life.
Unfortunately, due to these circumstances and the fact that Bill will be unable to handle and direct any part of the convention, and after tireless work by a few people who have stepped forward to try to salvage the event through damage control etc, it has been decided that it is impossible for it to go on so IFCON is now officially cancelled.
All the money put into the event from facility rental, flights, hotels, advances paid to celebrities, the show booth providers and much more that has been paid in advance is non-refundable to Bill or IFC Productions.
I know all of you are going to be more than disappointed with this situation however, it is important to note that Bill did his best and this would have been one of the most outstanding conventions had it come to fruition.
I am sorry to be the one who has to bring these sad tidings to your attention and I know many people are going to be upset but I ask you to please consider the circumstances and Bill’s ongoing struggle to get through his surgeries and survive and hopefully recover.
I know some of you will be mad but please, do not post negativity. Please, if anything, send best wishes and prayers to Bill for his recovery.
Ken Twyman will be handling all enquiries and all other matters will be dealt with by him. Ken has stepped up and is trying his best to handle all the fallout from the situation. Please be professional and businesslike in your dealings with him. Shouting, screaming or hell raising is not going to change anything so thank you in advance for your co-operation.
Yours very truly and respectfully – Bob…”
You can view the original post by clicking here. [Note: Apologies but the link is discontinued due to IFCon’s Facebook privacy settings. In its place is a screen capture of that aforementioned post. — James]
As Otaku no Culture, both Ed and I have to thank Bill Code, the IFCon guests, Ken Twyman and the IFCon committee for attempting to bring something truly wonderful and fun to Vancouver Island. Our thoughts and wishes go out to Bill for a speedy recovery. Get well my friend.
IFCon Victoria official website
IFCon Victoria official Facebook
