Ontario invests $5.7 million into Ottawa festivals, events and activities during COVID-19 pandemic
Ottawa's festivals, fairs and events are receiving a $5.7 million boost from the Ontario government to help deliver innovative and safe experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Lisa MacLeod announced one-time funding on Wednesday for festival and event organizers to deliver events that allow people to safely reconnect with their communities. Forty-six events, festivals and attractions in Ottawa will receive funding.
"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," said MacLeod in a statement. "Our government is supporting organizations that are finding new ways to safely engage and reconnect Ontarians with their local communities while creating local jobs."
Funding for events in Ottawa include $250,000 each for Music and Beyond Summer and Fall, Ottawa Chamberfest, the CityFolk Canadiana Project, The Drive-in Movie Experience at Wesley Clover Parks and the Ottawa Baseball Stadium, The Ottawa Bluesfest Canadian All-Stars Project and the Escapade Music Festival.
The Beyond Van Gogh Ottawa exhibit now open at Lansdowne Park also received $250,000.
The TD Ottawa Jazz Festival received $214,950, while the 2021 Nostalgia Music Festival receives $224,000
A Country Christmas at Saunders Farm receives $97,750 and the Haunting Season at Saunders Farm receives $96,750.
"Receiving Reconnect funding will help us safely re-open and expand our events this fall and winter. This critical support allows us to further engage local artists and suppliers for Haunting Season and A Country Christmas so that Ontarians can gather and rediscover the beauty and creativity of our province," said Mark Saunders, owner of Saunders Farm.
A full list of Ottawa's festivals and events receiving funding is available on the Ontario government's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.