Provincial funding is being provided to support qathet region fairs, festivals and other events throughout 2023 and 2024.
Eight local events are receiving a total of $177,100, including $37,300 for the PRISMA (Pacific Region International Summer Music Association) Festival and $33,800 for International Choral Kathaumixw, according to a media release.
This investment into local events is part of the $30 million in one-time grants the province pledged for fairs, festivals and events to continue the recovery of a vibrant and strong tourism industry and support the innovative arts industry in BC, according to the release. These grants for 2023 will support a range of events in locations all over BC and associated event costs.
In addition to PRISMA and Kathaumixw, the following will also receive funding: Texada Island Blues & Roots Festival, $2,000; Celebrate Canada Day, $3,000; Memento Mori Festival, $10,000; Townsite Jazz Festival, $7,000; Sunshine Music Festival, $8,100; and Fergie’s Two Day Challenge, $2,400.
“I am so glad that events like these receive funding to support events and celebrations in our communities,” stated Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons. “These are the events where we get together for fun, entertainment and cultural enrichment which make the Sunshine Coast a beautiful place to live and visit.”
This funding builds upon the success of the BC Fairs, Festivals and Events Program funding in 2021, which provided one-time grants for events to safely return after facing the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the release.
