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They say, “the show must go on!” And usually that is the case.

But sadly, the Four Seasons Performing Arts Centre in downtown Toronto abruptly pulled the plug on Shen Yun, the classical Chinese dance and music show.

Please note the cancellation of the last five shows had absolutely nothing to do with poor ticket sales.

Rather, a threat of terrorism was to blame.

An anonymous individual threatened to bomb the venue if the shows went ahead. Now, golly, who would have done that? Surely not an agent working for the Chinese government – a government that hates the very idea of Shen Yun.

The event’s presenter, the Falun Dafa Association of Toronto (FDAT), said at that time that the theatre, which is operated by the Canadian Opera Company, would “enhance security measures and conduct K-9 sweeps in advance of every show to ensure everyone’s safety and no further disruptions.”.

However, in a written statement, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts confirmed that the remaining performances for Shen Yun had been cancelled due to an abundance of caution.

The centre stated: “This action was taken out of an abundance of caution, following the receipt of an escalating series of threatening messages that were swiftly reported to Toronto Police Service.

“The well-being of staff, crews, artists, and audiences remain our highest priority, and the difficult decision was made entirely in the interest of public safety.”

It was somewhat mystifying. The Toronto Police Service said the threat of detonating a bomb “appears to be unfounded.”

Police have yet to determine the origin of the threats as the investigation continues.

But the presenter, FDAT, is attributing the threats to “Beijing’s systematic global campaign to stop Shen Yun - a show that presents the beauty of China before communism and brings light to modern day human rights abuses happening in China.”

FDAT further notes that “10,000 Canadians were threatened by the Chinese Communist Party. We are all victims.”

Bottom line: it’s common knowledge that China is very active in electoral interference. We also know that there are even Chinese police stations situated in Canada.

And now we have this: the Chinese Communist Party is presumably sabotaging shows that depict what life was like in China before communism.

It’s shameful.

And when it comes to Prime Minister Mark Carney, he said only a year ago that this regime was an existential threat to Canada. Now China is a valued trading partner. What changed in the space of 12 months?

Bottom line: in the months ahead, Canadians will be able to purchase cheap made-in-China EV cars. Alas, just don’t bother driving these vehicles to the Four Seasons Performing Arts Centre to catch a performance of Shen Yun. Not when threats of terrorism as opposed to bad reviews and poor ticket sales cancel shows. Sad.

And say, how’s “elbows up” working for you right now?