Barrhaven Canada Day event facing $15,000 financial shortfall
The future of one of Ottawa's largest volunteer-run Canada Day celebrations hangs in the balance as it grapples with cuts to grants from all three levels of government.
The July 1 event in Barrhaven is not alone. In recent years, many other festivals have faced similar funding setbacks.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
In less than two months, Clarke Fields Park in Barrhaven will be transformed into a red and white carnival for a fun-filled Canada Day with rides, games, food, and live entertainment, all organized by volunteers led by Darrell Bartraw.
"There's not a day that passes that I and my team are not doing something for Canada Day," he said.
Funding slashed
This year, however, the longstanding Canada Day event is faced with a significant financial blow after a federal grant was slashed by 30 per cent and two others — one from the province and one from the City of Ottawa — were nixed. The event finds itself short $15,000 in a time when costs like insurance, security and services have soared.
The Canadian Heritage Grant program, from which the organizers typically receive $14,000, only granted $10,000 this year. Bartraw says hopes for additional support from the City of Ottawa Civic Funding Grant program were dashed when the committee received zero funding despite requesting $3,000.
Compounding their financial woes, changes to the Province of Ontario's Experience Ontario program presented another setback. In 2023, the committee received a substantial $52,500 grant from the program. A recent rule change, however, capped the maximum allowable grant at $20,000, leaving the organizers empty-handed despite their application for the full amount.
"And then we lost a major stage sponsor," said Bartraw. "We're at, like, $160,000 to run an event of this size. We've had some emergency meetings and we had to decide what stays and what doesn't stay. And we've had to cut back in a number of areas."
Cutting back
Bartraw says the event has had to cut back on a few things.
"We've had to cut back on our entertainment this year and we've had to drastically cut back on who we are bringing in to save us a few thousand dollars," says Bartraw. "The event is still going to be for the people coming here an amazing show for all ages."
Area MPP Lisa McLeod calls the Canada Day event a Barrhaven staple and says she has contacted the premier's office to see how the province can help.
In recent years, other festivals like the Canadian Tulip Festival and Jazzfest have seen funding slashed.
"Unfortunately, I think that's the reality for many of the festivals that we have and the activities that are so important to our community," said Barrhaven West Coun. David Hill.
"I'm going to be out there volunteering as well, flipping pancakes and, and helping to make it a good time as best we can."
Bartraw says with the help of the many dedicated community sponsors, a GoFundMe, and an upcoming comedy show at the Waterford Grand Retirement Residence, the Barrhaven festival might be able to recover.
"This will still be a great show and we're very excited to bring back our midway, our main stage, our kids zone, and our seniors breakfast that we do every year, which is free for all the seniors," says Bartraw. "We just hope we can continue to do what we've been doing for 42 years and just have the best Canada Day celebration we can for the people of Barrhaven."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ontario gave parents more than $1B in cash over 2 years. Here's where the money went
During the pandemic, the Ontario government started to hand out cash to parents to help offset the cost of at-home learning while schools were shuttered.
One dead, 26 wounded in overnight shooting in Ohio: reports
A shooting on a street in Akron, Ohio, killed one man and wounded 26 other people early Sunday morning, according to reports by local news outlets.
Do this once a month and extend your life by up to 10 years. No gym required
Research shows that art experiences, whether as a maker or a beholder, transform our biology by rewiring our brains and triggering the release of neurochemicals, hormones and endorphins.
Bathroom break nearly derails $22 million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
Ryan Reynolds has declared 'War of the Popcorn Buckets.' He's honestly onto something
Ryan Reynolds this week unveiled arguably the most anticipated and sure-to-be coveted merchandise tied to his upcoming 'Deadpool' sequel: the movie’s novelty popcorn bucket.
South Korea vows 'unbearable' retaliation against North Korea over its launch of trash balloons
South Korea said Sunday it’ll soon take retaliatory steps against North Korea over its launch of trash-carrying balloons across the border and other provocations.
'There could have been an explosion,' 8 people, including 4 children injured in St. Constant, Que.
Eight people, including four children, have second- or third-degree burns as a result of an incident at a home in Saint-Constant, Que. south of Montreal, the Coopérative des techniciens ambulanciers de la Montérégie (CETAM) reported on Saturday.
Mass parachute jump over Normandy kicks off commemorations for the 80th anniversary of D-Day
Parachutists jumping from Second World War-era planes hurled themselves Sunday into now peaceful Normandy skies where war once raged, heralding a week of ceremonies for the fast-disappearing generation of Allied troops who fought from D-Day beaches 80 years ago.
Ambassador says interactions with Russia 'quite limited' but 'not unfriendly'
Canada's ambassador to Russia says while Ottawa has 'grave concerns' about the Kremlin's 'longer-term trends,' the war in Ukraine is 'a primary barrier to a change in the relationship.'