Skip to content

Ultimate Car Show cancelled due to Coquitlam casino strike

A labour dispute at the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam has forced the cancellation of the annual Ultimate Car Show, which was scheduled to take place this weekend.
The Ultimate Car Show has been held annually at the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam, however a labour dispute between workers and facility management has led to the cancellation of the 2018 event initially planned for this weekend.

A labour dispute at the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam has forced the cancellation of the annual Ultimate Car Show, which was scheduled to take place this weekend.

Instead, organizers said they will be back in 2019 with the event, which usually features more than 300 classic cars and a day of barbecuing and live entertainment.

"It is unfortunate that we had to make this difficult decision to put the show on hold this year as it is a very popular free event that families consistently come out for," said Rick Francoeur, the host of the show and owner of car company 360 Fabrication. "It means, though, we can plan an even bigger and better event for next summer that nobody wants to miss."

More than 400 employees at the Hard Rock have been on strike since May 11 in a dispute over wages and hours of work. A tentative agreement had been reached between management of the casino and the union but workers voted against ratification earlier this month. 

Picket lines are up at the entrances of the facility while negotiations between the BCGEU and the Great Canadian Gaming Corp. continue. 

gmckenna@tricitynews.com

@gmckennaTC