Province pumping over $40M into events, festivals
Posted Aug 4, 2021 03:00:00 PM.
The Ford government has announced $43 million to help events and festivals get going again post-pandemic.
The announcement was made Wednesday morning in Toronto by Lisa MacLeod, Ontario's Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries.
“For more than a year, the pandemic has disproportionately impacted tourism and culture – two major industries that bring people together and our communities to life,” said MacLeod. “Increasing our annual support for festival and events will give the sector a much-needed boost as we continue to deal with the effects of COVID-19. Our government is supporting organizations that are finding new ways to safely engage and reconnect Ontarians with their local communities while creating local jobs.”
Local events and festivals that will be receiving cash include:
- Ever After Music Fest — $250,000
- UNZIPPED (The Rolling Stones exhibit at THEMUSEUM) — $250,000
- KBF Crossroads 2021 in Kitchener — $148,000
- Kitchener Ribfest and Craft Beer Show — $142,000
- Christkindl Market — $140,000
- St. Jacobs Theatre Festival “Billy Bishop Goes To War” — $81,000
- IMPACT 21 — $80,000
- Celebrate Cambridge Winter Fest — $70,000
The provincial government says the one-time funding increase through the Reconnect Festival and Event Program is more than double the annual funding that has been provided to the sector in the past.
$6 million is also being provided for Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster events, which supports municipalities and organizations to host large-scale, high-impact signature events that draw significant tourist attendance and increase tourist spending.
