Thursday, September 03, 2015
Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport
Celebrate Ontario 2016 Now Open for Applications
Province Investing in Local Festivals and Events
Ontario is now accepting applications for Celebrate Ontario 2016, a program designed to support festivals and events across the province.
Celebrate Ontario grants help create jobs and grow local economies across the province, supporting new and improved experiences that attract tourists and boost visitor spending. This year, the province funded a record number of festivals and events across the province that celebrated our diversity, heritage and culture. Projects included Hamilton's James Street Super Crawl, the Kirkland Lake Homecoming and Hot Docs in Toronto.
Helping festivals and events succeed supports the government's economic plan for Ontario. The four-part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people's talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario's history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.
Quick Facts:
- The deadline to apply for Celebrate Ontario 2016 is November 4, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.
- Every year, festivals and events support tens of thousands of jobs and generate millions of dollars in revenue.
- From 2009 to 2013, Celebrate Ontario recipients reported a 25 per cent increase in visitors, or 6.2 million people, and an increase of $1 billion in visitor spending.
- Since 2007, Celebrate Ontario has helped more than 1,700 festivals and events across the province.
Additional Resources:
Quotes:
"Ontario’s festivals and events draw tourists to our communities, create jobs and boost local economies. I’m proud of our government’s ongoing commitment, through Celebrate Ontario, to help festivals and events grow and thrive so they can continue to showcase our province in new and exciting ways. "
— Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport
Media Contacts:
Andrew Campbell
Minister’s Office
416-327-4365
andrew.campbell@ontario.ca
Mark Smith
Communications Branch
416-325-8391
mark.l.smith@ontario.ca
|