Government supports Local Festivals and Events in Sarnia-Lambton

 

Government supports Local Festivals and Events in Sarnia-Lambton

Celebrate Ontario Program Creates Jobs and Supports Local Tourism

News                                                                                                                                                      May 17,2019

Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey is proud to announce that Ontario’s government for the people is working to create jobs and boost local tourism by investing almost $218,000 in three local events this year.

MPP Bailey announced today that the following festivals and events in Sarnia and Petrolia are receiving support through the Celebrate Ontario program:

  • Victoria Playhouse Petrolia, $156,200, April 30-October 27, 2019
  • Bluewater BorderFest Music Festival, $42,517, August 8-11, 2019
  • South Western International Film Festival, $19,260, November 7-10, 2019

“Our government recognizes the important contributions that festivals and events make to Sarnia-Lambton’s economy,” says MPP Bailey. “I am pleased that we are supporting these three important events as they continue to draw visitors from across the province and provide a positive economic impact to our community.”

Celebrate Ontario supports festivals and events of all sizes to reach new audiences, improve the programs for visitors, benefit local economies and create new jobs. According to past recipients, every dollar invested through Celebrate Ontario results in almost $21 of visitor spending.

This year, to help reduce red tape and the administrative burden for organizers, Ontario has streamlined the application process to make it easier to apply for funding.

“Ontario is open for business and open for jobs. By investing in festivals and events, our government is tapping into the economic potential of the tourism industry,” says Minister Tibollo.“ As we develop Ontario’s new tourism strategy, we will continue to invest in programs like Celebrate Ontario that help to maximize the growth and competitiveness of the great festivals and events that take place throughout the province.”

Celebrate Ontario supports festivals and events taking place throughout the year.

Quick Facts

  • Ontario is investing over $13 million in over 250 festivals and events in communities across the province, plus another $4 million in additional funding for Blockbuster events.
  • The latest data from 2016 indicates that tourism supported nearly 390,000 jobs and generated over $34 billion of economic activity in Ontario.
  • The tourism industry is one of the world’s fastest-growing industries.
  • The tourism sector has experienced year-on-year increases in visitor spending of nearly six per cent.

For more information, contact

Bob Bailey, MPP

bob.bailey@pc.ola.org, 519-337-0051