Summerside Mayor Basil Stewart says losses on the mega-concert wouldn't have been as significant if the province had approved a $200,000 grant. (CBC)

CBC News has obtained a confidential document showing the City of Summerside was planning for a huge loss on its mega-concert.

The Michael Jackson Tribute Concert never happened and taxpayers are currently on the hook for more than $1 million.

On April 23, 2010, the city met with the province looking for a $200,000 grant.

That same day Summerside was also trying to get its money back from the promoter.

A lawsuit filed in California against the promoter, Katrina Berg Sussmeier, shows the city was starting to believe the concert wouldn't happen.

"Top of my head, I couldn't give you the exact dates and times the money was sent," said Mayor Basil Stewart. "It's recorded someplace. But I haven't got it here right at this second."

Also, in a confidential letter to the city, tourism deputy minister Melissa MacEachern stated the province would not help with the concert, in part because the city was already projecting a $1.2 million loss.

Stewart said the losses wouldn't have been as bad if the province had helped out.

"If we'd gotten the money from the province that would have changed it completely, water on the beans."

But even if the province had given the grant, Summerside would still have lost $1 million on the concert.

The first court date for the lawsuit against the California promoter is April 26 in San Jose.