Scotiabank has decided to set Nuit Blanche free. Bank spokesperson Sean Hamilton said the all-night art festival (which has seen more than one street fight) is off its sponsorship list, telling the Toronto Star that Nuit Blanche organizers were informed of the decision in February. He said the move had nothing to do with reports of troublemaking in the early hours of Sunday morning, when crowds of art crawlers advanced on police and threw bottles at Yonge-Dundas Square. The amount of money spent by the bank on Nuit Blanche is secret but shareholders might cheer the news that Scotia is trimming its sails in the giveaway department. It sponsors many arts and entertainment festivals (we like Buskerfest). It could also doubt do without the tedious moaning of people like Dave Meslin in the Torontoist who just can’t stand seeing a bank associated with artistic purity. Pooey pooey, Dave.
