Council to look at Heritage Fest’s future

Festival-goers gather by the main stage at North Bay’s 2006 Heritage Festival. (File Photo)

The fate of North Bay’s Heritage Festival will be decided by one of four options presented to council Monday night.

A report on the matter was sent to the Community Services Committee at council's regular meeting.

The first option recommends ending the event and promoting the rental of the waterfront, the second options is to continue with the current format, the third option would limit the risk of the festival by lowering the budget, and the fourth option is to seek private proposals to takeover the festival.

“We have a wide rage of options to look at, but what we have to do is take away the uncertainty,” Community Services Chair Mike Anthony said.

In October, council agreed to hold off discussions of what to do with the festival in light of the upcoming election. Anthony explained the festival’s future must be discussed because people have been complaining about the cost and risk of the event, while others say the recent surplus shows hope for the August long-weekend celebration.

“We have to decide once and for all what we are going to do,” Anthony said.

Which ever option council decides on, Anthony doubts the festival will continue in the same direction it has in the past.

“Doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results, is the definition of insanity,” he said.

“We have to look at minimizing the risk.”

Anthony hopes the community services committee will have a recommendation ready for council by mid January.

“We need to get this done quickly,” he explained.

“It’s not fair to keep the community, the volunteers, or staff members guessing.”