Canadian comedian Ben Bankas is pushing ahead with his planned Kelowna, B.C., stop, despite growing calls to cancel the show.
In a video posted online ahead of March 19, Bankas tells fans he’s coming to Kelowna. Wearing a Kelowna Rockets jersey, the Toronto-born comic, now based in Austin, Texas, is seen stepping off a plane in another online video saying “can’t stop me.”
Bankas has built a reputation for controversial material, including a recent set where he compared Winnipeg to an apocalyptic scene involving Indigenous people.
Kelowna Pride spokesperson Candace Banks says that kind of content is part of a broader pattern.
“If you look up any of the clips on YouTube, it only takes a second for him to get into trashing immigrants, Indigenous people, women, trans folks, queer folks,” she said.
His “I Said What I Said” tour has already faced fallout. A show in Nanaimo was cancelled, with the Port Theatre saying it supports freedom of expression within the bounds of the law.
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In the U.S., multiple sold-out shows in Minnesota were also scrapped after backlash to a routine referencing Renée Good, a 37-year-old mother who was fatally shot by an ICE agent earlier this year.
Bankas joked about her death during a performance, saying it was ‘good,’ drawing widespread criticism.
“To make light of the death of a human, an innocent woman, that’s not comedy,” Banks said.
Kelowna Pride is now calling on Prospera Place to cancel Thursday’s show.
“Especially for a public venue where we get most of our entertainment from, I think our entire community needs to feel comfortable and safe there. With events like this, there is no safety,” she said.
In a statement, Prospera Place says it is listening to feedback.
“The venue hosts a wide range of events throughout the year, presented by different organizers. When providing the space for these events, we recognize that not every performance will resonate positively with the whole of our community,” said Prospera Place.
“Any decisions related to an event proceeding are considered carefully and take into account a variety of factors, including existing agreements and public safety.”
Global News reached out to Bankas’ team for comment but did not receive a response.
For now, the nearly sold-out show is still expected to go ahead.
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Prospera Place urged to pull the plug on controversial comedian coming to Kelowna
