The management of the Pointe-Calumet Beachclub is contesting sums claimed by the tax authorities for contracts with foreign artists and is sheltering one of its subsidiaries from its creditors in an attempt to find common ground.
“These are taxes to be returned for artists,” replied the Journal the owner of the premises, Olivier Primeau, judging that he should not be taxed on an invoice which may include the travel expenses of the stars.
“We want to pay in full, but we want to pay the real amount. […] We want to start from scratch and look to the future, ”continued the businessman.
The latter explains that it is up to his troops to claim the tax deductions on the fee paid to foreign artists. However, this amount sometimes includes off-show fees that should not be imposed, he believes.
On February 7, the event subsidiary of the Beachclub, registered under a numbered company and whose shareholder is Gestion Di Primeau, according to the Register of Companies, placed itself under the protection of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act with intends to make a proposal to its creditors.
Management thus hopes to write off its debts before the next summer season and erase some scars caused by the impacts of the pandemic. Without an agreement with the creditors, the latter might claim property.
The debts of this company amount to $1.8 million, divided equally between Revenu Québec and the Canada Revenue Agency. These are the only two creditors. The Groupe Serpone trustee is responsible for this file.
Revenu Québec preferred not to comment. The claims would date back to 2019.
This is not the first time that the management of the Beach Club has had financial problems. In February 2021, The newspaper reported that several suppliers, between seven and eight, were still waiting to be paid.
Today, all of these companies would have received their check.
Mr. Primeau does not hide that the events branch of the group has been heavily affected by COVID-19. The entrepreneur figures at $1.9 to $2.5 million his losses and his loss of earnings for almost two years.
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Before the pandemic, the Pointe-Calumet Beachclub regularly hosted major international stars. Here, Daddy Yankee, in 2018.
As another dispute, the Beachclub was also taken to court by the Régie de Police du Lac des Deux-Montagnes, which claimed nearly $250,000 for security costs during events dating back to 2019.
Mr. Primeau says he agreed to pay, yesterday, the financial proposal put forward by the police department.
The head of the Beachclub now wants to turn the page on the past two years which have mistreated the finances of his organization. He hopes to perform a dozen major shows at the Beachclub this summer. He claims to also have several other projects in his boxes.
“With everything that is happening with COVID-19, we are excited, but we still have to keep ourselves a little embarrassed. […] We should be positive this year and we are happy,” he said.
As for the group’s product sold in grocery stores, such as frozen poutine, hamburgers and Beach Day Every Day drinks, Mr. Primeau assures that sales are going very well.
– With the collaboration of Philippe Langlois and Francis Halin
