THUNDER BAY – The potential for a $130,000 shortfall, with no guarantees of securing federal or provincial funding to make up the difference, was one of several reasons organizers have cancelled next month’s planned 100th anniversary celebration at Chippewa Park.
Lorraine Lortie, president of the Friends of Chippewa Park, said there were also sponsorship concerns, with many businesses still on the mend from COVID-19 shutdowns, and a lack of volunteers willing to help stage the event, originally scheduled for the long weekend in August.Cancelling, though disappointing, was the responsible thing to do, she said.
“We took a look at all the factors and the sum of those just led us to (the fact) that we had no other choice but to cancel the festival,” Lortie said.Board members were informed last week that funding applications with both the provincial and federal governments were not likely to be approved before the festival, with no guarantees they would be approved at all.
Iain Angus, secretary and project manager for the five-day event, said the provincial election stopped the Ontario government funding application in its tracks, with not enough time left after cabinet was sworn in to get the money approved.He speculated the federal government was log-jammed after COVID-19 restrictions lifted across the country, including the FedNor sponsored program Friends of Chippewa Park had applied to for the festival.Entertainers, suppliers, vendors and sponsors were notified on Sunday of the cancellation.
“It’s probably one of the most difficult, disappointing decisions I’ve ever had to make, or that the Friends of Chippewa have ever had to make,” said Angus, a long-time politician at the federal, provincial and municipal level.
“We’ve been pretty successful over the last 20 years in terms of our funding applications. We’ve raised and invested over $11 million in the park. We were pretty confident that we would be approved by at least one of the two funding applications we submitted.”
It was just too much money to cover, he said.
There is good news, however, which both Lortie and Angus are looking at as the silver lining arising from the cancellation.Our Kids Count has agreed to hold the Children’s Festival on Saturday, July 30, which will run from noon until 4 p.m. and open to children and their guardians. Face painting, bouncy castles, a petting zoo and games will be held, with entertainment by Rodney Brown.
An expanded Sundays in the Park will also be held the following day, including some of the performers initially scheduled for Family Fest 101.
The festival was originally scheduled for 2021, but was postponed a year due to COVID-19.
