MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT CELEBRATES ONTARIO WITH A $10 MILLION INVESTMENT IN FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

 

The McGuinty government is providing $10 million to enhance festivals and events across the province through the 2008 Celebrate Ontario program. The funding is part of the Ontario government’s $30 million investment in tourism, announced in the Fall Economic Statement on December 13.

 

Celebrate Ontario

 

Celebrate Ontario 2008 willhelpenhance and market new or existing festivals and events in the province.

 

This year, the program is divided into two tiers: smaller, emerging tourism events, which will be eligible for up to $100,000, and larger, signature festivals and events, which will be eligible for up to $400,000, with additional funding of up to $100,000 to complete an economic impact assessment.

Up to 85 per cent of the program funding will be used for new programming enhancements and up to 15 per cent to support the marketing and promotion of the new enhancements.

 

Eligible applicants include private enterprises, registered not-for-profit organizations, municipalities and other authorities, and First Nations in the Province of Ontario.

 

All information about the program, application guide and forms can be found online at www.tourism.gov.on.ca/english/festivals and www.tourism.gov.on.ca/french/festivals.

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Contacts:

Alicia Farrow, Minister’s Office, (416) 314-1400
Gary Wheeler, Communications Branch, (416) 325-8391

 

• News release