To: Nanaimo City Council
Share Your Thoughts With Nanaimo City Council
Add your name and message to our letter demanding an apology for Canadian comedian Ben Bankas
Canada should not be the kind of country where politicians try to cancel comedians.
Nanaimo, B.C. just earned the Canadian Constitution Foundation’s 2026 Municipal Muzzle Award for its role in shutting down Ben Bankas’ sold-out comedy show at the city-owned Port Theatre in March.
According to the venue’s statement, the publicly-owned theatre “has a duty to provide a safe environment for staff, volunteers, patrons, artists and members of the community.” Hearing jokes you don’t like is not unsafe, and encouraging Canadians to think this way is irresponsible.
Sign the CCF’s public letter calling on Mayor Leonard Krog and Nanaimo City Council to apologize to Mr. Bankas for the cancellation of his performance and commit to defending free expression instead of caving to censorship campaigns and outrage-driven pressure.
Canadian comedian Ben Bankas. Image by Mimat12345 via under CC 4.0.