Sutcliffe clarifies support for Ottawa festivals after organizers raise questions

Mark Sutcliffe announces his fiscal plan across the street from Ottawa City Hall. Oct. 5, 2022. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa)

Ottawa mayoral candidate Mark Sutcliffe says he supports funding festivals in the city after questions emerged about a column he wrote 16 years ago arguing that the city stop funding them.

Officials from Capital Pride and the Tulip Festival called on Sutcliffe to clarify his position on funding for Ottawa's festivals after the 2006 Ottawa Citizen column emerged in which he advocated weaning those festivals and others off city money.

In a statement on Thursday, Sutcliffe said he supports the city’s current funding model for festivals and events.

“Since the article I wrote in 2006, the City of Ottawa has reviewed festival funding to ensure that all funded events have a socio-economic benefit to our community. I am supportive of this model,” he said. “It is disappointing that my opponents are fixated on an article I wrote 16 years ago, rather than tabling their own plans for this important cultural and economic pillar for our city.”

Sutcliffe said Ottawa's arts and culture community, including festivals, "is close to my heart."

"My platform dedicates $2M in new funding over four years for arts and culture, as well as accelerating Ottawa’s progress to becoming a music city."

Capital Pride issued a letter to Sutcliffe's campaign on Thursday, raising questions about the column that had the headline, "Festivals should be weaned from city funding."

"Ottawa is well known for our festivals and events. Many of the largest festivals in the city are run by non-profit organizations and they work everyday to bring communities together," Capital Pride Executive Director Toby Whitfield wrote. "They contribute to a vibrant city, generate significant economic activity, raise funds for local charities and create meaningful opportunities for local artists."

On Wednesday, the Canadian Tulip Festival issued a statement on Twitter noting it attracts tourists from around the world and commemorates the loss of Canadian lives during World War Two.

Sutcliffe says if elected, he will work with Ottawa's arts, culture and festival community.

"Ottawa’s arts and culture community deserve a Mayor who knows how important the sector is to both the cultural fabric and economic well-being of our city, and a Mayor who will balance fiscal responsibility with compassion for the most vulnerable in our society," Sutcliffe said.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca asked the city of Ottawa about annual funding for the Canadian Tulip Festival and Capital Pride, and was directed to the Cultural Funding Summary Report on the city's website.

The city of Ottawa's Cultural Funding Summary Report for 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 does not show any city funding for the Canadian Tulip Festival. The city is listed as a government partner on the Canadian Tulip Festival website for the 2022 festival.

Capital Pride received $25,000 in funding from the city of Ottawa in 2017, $26,500 in 2018, $40,000 in annual operating and $10,000 for Capacity Building-Project in 2019, $42,000 in annual operating funding and $15,000 in Capacity-Building Project funding in $2020, and $50,000 in annual operating funding in 2021, along with $3,800 in Cultural Facilities Minor-Project funding and $7,500 in Capacity Building-Project funding.

Mayoral candidate Catherine McKenney said if elected, they would "ensure that funding to festivals is protected."

"I have received a letter from @FierteCapPride inquiring about my stance on festival funding. My reply indicated that I've always stood up for our arts and cultural sectors, including for our festivals," McKenney said on Twitter.

In a statement on Thursday afternoon, McKenney said if elected, they would develop a new arts and culture master plan, "where the city and community will have joint ownership of the plan."

"As Mayor, I will take Arts and Culture out of the Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services Department so that we recognize the unique impact and contributions of arts and culture in the city," McKenney said in a statement.

Meantime, former mayor and current mayoral candidate Bob Chiarelli claims Sutcliffe's comments in the column are "further proof he is not up to the job of being mayor – the city's chief ambassador."

Chiarelli adds he is "vigorously opposed to defunding these events. They are simply too important to Franco-Ontarians, the LGBTQ+ community, tourists, and the public at large."