Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra to ask city hall for more cash up front

The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra is asking city councillors to put forward a larger portion of the funding they would normally receive at this time of year.

The orchestra usually gets 25 per cent of its annual grant from the city in January and the rest after the municipal budget is ratified.

But with the symphony facing a cash flow crisis due to decreased federal and provincial dollars, it's asking for up to half of thisyear's grant $295,000 prior to the budget.

Symphony board chair Paul Inksetter said receiving the money earlier would help the symphony to complete its operations for this fiscal year.

"The symphony's had a deficit for the last couple of years and that means you get behind on your cash flow, and so we'll run out of cash before the end of this year. So getting that money into the symphony's hands earlier allows us to continue to meet our payroll and fund our operations," he said.

Fundraising continues

Administration is recommending the forwarding of the additional installment, subject to council's approval and a review of the symphony's finances by city staff.

A city official told CBC News these types of advances are included in its funding models of the grant program for organizations that have cash flow issues similar to the one the symphony says it's facing.

Meanwhile, the symphony is continuing its own fundraising efforts.

Inksetter said they've already raised about half of their $225,000 goal.

"We have a huge thank you to the people of Thunder Bay, because the generous donations are coming in very well. We're well ahead of last year."

The TBSO is celebrating its 55th year in Thunder Bay. It's the only professional orchestra between Toronto and Winnipeg.

The orchestra has seen its funding from provincial and federal sources frozen for the last six years, and then further reduced five to 10 per cent.

Inksetter has told CBC that ticket sales have actually risen in the last few years, despite waning corporate sponsorship and government funding.