'We have to pivot': Tulip festival seeking new funding strategy amid financial headwinds

The head of Ottawa's annual tulip festival says the show will go on as the organization seeks to recover from post-pandemic financial headwinds.

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The Canadian Tulip Festival has been a staple of the spring season in Ottawa, but over the last few years, federal, provincial and city financial support of the festival has been steadily decreasing, according to executive director Jo Riding.

"Everybody has tight budgets right now," Riding told Newstalk 580 CFRA's The Morning Rush with Bill Carroll on Monday.

"Since the pandemic, everyone has had to tighten up and that includes government funding for festivals. We know we have to pivot, we know we have to be creative."

The festival, which commemorates the role of the Canadian troops in the liberation of the Netherlands and Europe, has been held every year since 1953.

Each May, more the one million tulips blanket the Ottawa region in Commissioner's Park on the shores of the Rideau Canal and in various parts of the city. The event typically sees around 500,000 visitors and costs around $800,000. Riding says the festival has an economic impact of over $40 million for the city.

Riding says the festival has lost about 30 per cent of its total funding as federal, provincial and municipal funding has declined.

"From the city of Ottawa side, we had been receiving stable funding for years because of the nature of our festival," she said.

"But now unfortunately that is coming to an end, so we will be applying for funding."

A 2022 economic development report says the festival received $100,000 in funding from the City of Ottawa. Riding says that funding is expected to be halved this year and entirely phased out by next year.

The festival also receives financial assistance from Canadian Heritage and the province of Ontario, all of which has also been cut back.

Organizers will have to apply for economic development funding from the city, a process Riding says can be lengthy and is never guaranteed.

"We will do our best to work our way back at up to where we used to be, but that's going to take some time," Riding said.

The funding crunch means the public won't be seeing musical performances or fireworks traditionally seen at the festival, but free movies and a drone show are planned.

While the organizers are actively finding new sources of funding, Riding is assuring residents the festival will always remain free of charge.

"You wouldn't gate and ticket Remembrance Day and we're not going to gate the tulip festival," she said.

"When you're talking about a subject like this, it's our duty to educate folks and it's our duty to educate the next generation, especially now."

The Canadian Tulip Festival will take place from May 10 to May 20.