Sask Expo Regina cancellation leaves vendors out their deposits

A long running comic convention hosted at Regina's REAL District has shut down and vendors who put down deposits are wondering where that money went.

Sask Expo Regina — a gathering of cosplayers, comic book lovers and celebrities — was cancelled last year due to an organizer's health concerns. Expo staff told vendors their deposits would carry over to this year. Now, the event has completely dissolved.

In the official statement, Sask Expo Regina said it could no longer continue due to lowered attendance since the pandemic, venue issues and other unspecified challenges.

Brandi Oliver, co-owner of AP Spray Art, said she is out a $750 deposit she made in 2024 to secure a place for her booth.

"We were out all that money for our supplies, plus we were out the money we would have made, and now we're out our vendor fee."

She said the organizers of Sask Expo Regina have completely stopped communicating with vendors, leaving her and others with little hope to get their money back.

"We had to borrow money to pay some of our bills," Oliver said. "That's like a $3,000 weekend for us. It was really, really hard. We went to family, we went to friends just to keep our own stuff afloat."

Some blamed REAL, which operates the building where the event was to take place, for the missing deposits. REAL responded with a statement.

"[REAL] was not the organizer of this event and is not responsible for collecting or refunding vendor deposits. All financial transactions, including deposits, were managed directly by the event organizers of Sask Expo Regina," the statement said.

REAL public relations manager Tim Day said the organization is also currently pursuing payment of outstanding debt from the expo.

Don Sparrow, a Saskatoon illustrator who has been a recurring guest at the Regina event, said the loss of the show is disappointing.

"It's a real heartbreaker," he said. "I've done shows in the United States and France and all across Canada, but Regina was definitely my favourite."

Oliver said losing her deposit makes her reluctant to be a vendor at future Regina events.

"Some of us are hoping that somebody else will take it over, but I'm not sure if that's actually going to happen. I don't know if vendors are going to trust people anymore," she said.

"I'm going to have a really hard time."