Shen Yuns Cancellation in Toronto After Fake Bomb Threat Requires Strong Response From Canadian Leaders: MP

Conservative MP Garnett Genuis says it’s critical that a performance like Shen Yun Performing Arts doesn’t get disrupted in Canada and to ensure artistic freedom is upheld.His comments come after Shen Yun’s March 29 performance at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts was cancelled due to the theatre receiving a bomb threat. Toronto Police said after investigation that they found the threat to be unfounded.The local organizers of the show say that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is behind the bogus threat to derail the show, whose tagline is “China Before Communism.”“Canadians should be very concerned about this,” Genius told The Epoch Times. “The suspicious context around it and the circumstances I think raise this to the level of requiring a very strong and forceful response from leaders.”The MP for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan in Alberta said that the March 29 incident needs to be investigated by law enforcement and other relevant agencies, adding that it’s important that the Canadian government take a strong stance against foreign interference.“It’s critical that we also think about and talk about how to make sure these events aren’t cancelled in the future,” Genius said. “We should not allow different kinds of threats, intimidation, or interference to stop artistic expression from going ahead.”The Falun Dafa Association of Toronto, which is the local organizer of Shen Yun’s shows in the Toronto area, says that the New York-based classical Chinese dance and music company has been routinely targeted by bogus threats by agents of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to derail the show, but the incident on March 29 marks the first time a performance was cancelled by the theatre over a fake bomb threat just hours before it was about to begin.In one case, when theatres hosting Shen Yun in Taiwan received similar threats last year, Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau traced the threats to a facility based in Xi’an, China.In 2024, two Chinese agents were sentenced to prison in the United States for attempting to bribe an Internal Revenue Service agent to open an investigation into Shen Yun.“The artistic messages that Shen Yun carries are ones that the CCP doesn’t like,” Genius said. “We know that Shen Yun has been targeted because of its efforts to showcase traditional Chinese culture, and we need to be vigilant about preserving and protecting our freedom in this country.”A sign posted at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto on March 29, 2026, informs patrons that Shen Yun’s Sunday performance has been cancelled. The Epoch TimesToronto Police told The Epoch Times that investigation over the incident is ongoing.The Epoch Times reached out to the RCMP about the incident but didn’t hear back by publication time. In a past statement, the national police force said that it takes threats to the security of people living in Canada “very seriously” and “wants to reassure everyone that our primary focus is the safety and protection of the public at all times.”The local organizers of the show say that those who missed the March 29 performance will have the option of attending one of five upcoming shows at the theatre on April 1 and April 3–5. They added that the theatre will be implementing additional security measures to ensure safety.InterferenceShen Yun was formed in 2006 by a group of leading classical Chinese artists with a mission to revive China’s traditional culture. The performing arts company says its artists practice the spiritual discipline of Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, which the company says is rooted in traditional Chinese culture. The practice has been persecuted by the communist regime in China since 1999.“Shen Yun, founded by practitioners of Falun Gong, showcases the beauty of traditional Chinese culture and the spiritual heritage of China before Communism. The show also depicts the persecution of Falun Gong — a meditation and spiritual practice rooted in ancient Chinese spirituality that teaches one to be honest, compassionate, and resilient,” the Falun Dafa Association of Toronto said in a statement.“The incident is not isolated, but part of a coordinated global campaign of CCP-directed transnational repression against Shen Yun Performing Arts,” said Joel Chipkar, a spokesperson for the association.Shen Yun Performing Arts held its second Toronto performance of the 2026 season at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on the evening of March 28, 2026, with the theater filled to capacity. May Huang/The Epoch TimesOne of Shen Yun’s performances at Mississauga’s Living Arts Centre on March 15 was also targeted by a bomb threat, but the police of jurisdiction, the Peel Regional Police, told The Epoch Times that their investigation found that the threat wasn’t credible. Sill, the incident delayed the start of the show by 1.5 hours.Earlier this year, Prime Minister Mark Carney and five other world leaders were targeted by threats sent to the organizers, warning that the leaders could face harm if Shen Yun was allowed to perform in their countries.Protecting Freedoms in CanadaGenuis, who has seen Shen Yun multiple times, said the performing arts company shows that the CCP doesn’t represent China, and allows audience members to learn about the richness of Chinese culture.“The artists did an incredible job at the Shen Yun events I’ve been to, and showed a lot of courage and also precision and effectiveness in their performance,” Genuis said.“I want to salute all the artists who are involved in bringing this presentation to the Canadian public in the face of such pressure, and we must be on top of preserving and protecting our freedoms in this country.”Teng Dongyu contributed to this report.