City approves $52K emergency funding for Sudbury Symphony Orchestra

The show will go on for the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra at least for the immediate future.

Sudbury City Council approved a$52,000 emergency bailout to allow the arts organization to finish its season.

Mayor Brian Bigger, who brought forward the motion to give the SSO thefunds, said he was already happy with the amount of work council has done to encourage the growth of the arts in Greater Sudbury.

"I feel the symphony plays a vital role in arts and culture in our community," Bigger said. "I think the general feeling it the community is we'd like them to continue to be a part of the community."

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But Coun. Ren Lapierre said he had some concerns about the precedent this may be setting for other arts organizations in the city.

"It seems like we're developing a trend that everybody's coming to us for a bailouts," Lapierre said. "I want to make sure that whoever we do help, we have something in place to ensure that we don't hand over money to be lost again."

Last October, the Sudbury Theatre Centre received an emergency infusion of $200,000 far more than the symphony's request.

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Coun. Robert Kirwan rejected the idea of calling the $52,000 a bailout.

"I'm looking at this as an investment in what we have committed to on this council that's going to be almost $500 million on the transition of this city," Kirwan said.

"Let's [make sure] we're walking hand-in-hand into the future with this organization and make sure they're viable, like we're going to make sure the Sudbury Theatre Centre is viable, and anyone else in our arts and culture industry that needs our support."

Coun. Fern Cormier said the $52,000 request isn't going to be "the straw that breaks the camel's back," citing the city's nearly half-billion dollar budget.

He also said he expects some complaints about funding for arts groups when the condition of the city's roads often drives the political conversation.

"I know there are people out there who say it's a bailout," Cormier said. "We could have the best roads on planet earth, but where are you going to go to if you'renot investing in something to go to?"

"The STC and symphonyand Theatre Cambrian and what we're seeing with the Places Des Arts, these are all fundamental building blocks to a healthy society."

One more concert remains on the SSO's schedule. Violinist Marc Djokic from New York City will be visiting Sudbury to perform Philip Glass'"AmericanFour Seasons" and Dvrak's "The New World" on May 5.