Ottawa festivals applaud 'critical' funding from province

Ottawa's festival organizers say acash infusion from the provincial government will pave the way for a revivalofmajor musical and cultural events inthe region.

The Ontario government promised$5.7 million in funding this week more than five times the amount the province gave Ottawa festivals last year that festivals saywill help them restart safely, bring back artists,and build on virtual projects developed during the pandemic.

According to organizers, it may just turn around a long bleak spell that saw festival fields and concerthalls fall silent.

Bluesfest and CityFolk director Mark Monahansays this"unprecedented investment" will jumpstartthe recovery of Ottawa's festival season after more than a yearof uncertainty and dashed plans.

Bluesfest, CityFolkand Monathan's newest venture, the immersive Beyond Van Gogh, each received $250,000.

"It'sa critical amount of money that's going to go to all the events that allow us to keep people on and hire more people to come and revive the industry," said Monahan.

WATCH | Petr Cancura from TD Ottawa Jazz Festival on funding:

New funding means music festivals, shows can confidently go on, organizer says

3 years ago

Duration 0:41

Petr Cancura, programming manager for TD Ottawa Jazz Festival, says funding from the provincial government will allow the festival to move forward after more than a year of uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding was announced by local MP Lisa MacLeod, who is Ontario's Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, as part of a $50 millioninvestment in Ontario's festivals and events.

MacLeod says this is part of a plan to accelerate the economic and "social recovery" by investing inlocal attractions where neighbours and arts lovers can once again gather.

"[The government is] supporting organizations that are finding new ways to safely engage and reconnect Ontarians with their local communities while creating local jobs." said MacLeod.

The money will help launch two new projects at Saunders Farms that will employ a wide range of local craftspeople and artists, according to its president Mark Saunders.

Plans are now underway fora revamped festival for "spooky" autumn nights and in December a charmingcountry Christmas Village. Both projects received $97,000 each from the government.

"We're hiring artists and set designers and set dressers,and actors and performers ... a lot of people who were sort of left out in the last 18 months," said Saunders.

Pandemic events live on

A number of festivals say they will be building on new projects they pioneered during the pandemic, including the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival that will invest in virtual concert production and online streaming.

Festival programming director Petr Cancura says his priority will be hiring more musicians, butsome of the $214,950 received will be used for new ventures launched during the pandemic.

Ali Shafaee, director of the Escapade Music Festival, says he will continue operatinga drive-in theatre and holiday drive-thru in Ottawa's west end.

"They've all been so successful in terms of community involvement," says Shafaee.

"It's enabled us to say, 'OK, this isn't just a one-time pandemic event,' and they're events that we'll continue to run for years to come because of the funding we've been able to receive."