Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker has announced funding support for two local music festivals.
The province will be giving almost $38,000 in funding that will be shared by the City of Owen Sound for Music at the Market, which will receive $10,000, and the Paisley Blues Festival Summer Series of Live Music will receive almost $28,000. This funding, according to the release, is more than double what the province usually provides to these types of events in an effort to ensure the industry can bounce back from the pandemic and ensure that municipalities and event organizers can put together a safe event for everyone who attends.
The release also states that the provincial government is investing nearly $50 million to support 439 festivals and events across Ontario through the Reconnect Festival and Event Program.
"For more than a year, the pandemic has disproportionately impacted tourism and culture – two major industries that bring people together and our communities to life,” says Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. “Increasing our annual support for festivals and events will give the sector a much-needed boost as we continue to deal with the effects of COVID-19. Our government is supporting organizations that are finding new ways to safely engage and reconnect Ontarians with their local communities while creating local jobs.”
“Festivals and events like the Paisley Blues Festival and Music at the Market make important contributions to our communities creating local jobs and boosting the local economy,” adds MPP Walker. “I’m pleased the government is making this important investment through the Reconnect Festival and Event Program, giving us all the opportunity to experience what Ontario has to offer right in our own backyard.”