The treasurer of the Celtic Festival in Goderich says even though their attendance was up for the festival this past summer, they actually lost money.
John Lodge has asked Huron County council for some financial support.
He attributes part of the problem with the fact that while they have a very strong volunteer base, many people are struggling to find the time to volunteer these days. Lodge adds they have to pay for a lot more things than they used to.
Lodge concedes they're going to have to make a few adjustments for next year; things like sponsorship and fund-raising in the off-season, but he's not anticipating any major changes. He adds they could raise prices, but that's not something they're anxious to do.
"It's just the logistics of what we have to pay for, everything is more expensive," says Lodge. "Although we have a very strong volunteer base, there are more and more things that we have to pay for that we can't find volunteers to manage, so that's part of it."
John Lodge – Celtic Festival Treasurer. (Photo by Bob Montgomery)