Province of British Columbia introduces new fund in support of Community Fairs and Festivals

A snapshot in time from a pre-COVID era  Seafest of a few years 
(photo from PR Special Events website)

The Provincial government is coming to the assistance of communities in British Columbia with a program that will provide some financial assistance for community events such as Prince Rupert's Seafest, Winterfest and such.

The announcement today from Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport outlined the scope of the one time funding of 12.9 million dollars that communities can have access to.

“We know that people have been missing community fairs, festivals and events, and organizers have made tremendous sacrifices to keep us all safe. We’re proud to support local events, so people can gather safely with family and friends, in groups and close to home as we continue to navigate our way through this pandemic.”

The money available will be put to use towards 20 percent of an even budget, to a maximum of $250,000. 

Eligible events include sport, arts and culture events, community celebrations, agricultural fairs, rodeos and exhibitions. Applications submitted by organizations will be required to demonstrate local or regional support and show the economic and social benefits for the community.

Applications for the program are being accepted until October 1st of this year. 

To be eligible for the funding the events have to have taken place since July 1st 2021, or are scheduled to take place until September 30th of 2022.

Many communities like Prince Rupert have seen some of their popular events either cancelled or significantly reduced in scope owing to the last year and half of COVID, the recovery funding is designed to help them build back up their events  or reduce some of the financial burdens that have been seen over the last eighteen months.

The Prince Rupert Special Events Society
calendar of upcoming festivals in the
Prince Rupert area

More on today's announcement can be reviewed here, while the criteria for the Recovery funding program is available here.

You can get a look at some of the community festivals that are organized by the Prince Rupert Special Events Society through their website and Facebook page.

More notes on Community events across the Northwest can be found from our archive page.