It's plan 'B' for the 2007 Heritage Festival

file photo of 2006 festival.

The uncertainty around how the 2007 Heritage Festival would unfold was put to rest tonight with council opting to go with plan ‘B’ versus appointing a private entertainment provider to run the event’s main stage.

Council first introduced the idea of the city hosting free daytime activities at Lee Park, while the private entity ran the concerts at the waterfront January 21st. At the same time council agreed in the motion that if a private entertainment provider could not be found that the management committee would operate the concerts but cut the budget from $1-million to a budget of $600,000 for the entire festival.

Mike Anthony, Community Services Chair, said the city received one proposal from a private source that had some neat ideas if they were to take over the concerts during the festival. However, an agreement could not be reached and the party has since declined moving forward.

“I would have much preferred the private entertainment option. I really thought that was the way to go where it mitigates city risk. It’s a private group that knows about concerts involved and it would have then resulted in a free area down by Lee Park for the families with a Midway and vendors and so on.”

“The staff did a great job of working with them (private entity) to try and hammer it out, but when push comes to shove, we’re now into March and if things hadn’t been worked out and couldn’t proceed, they couldn’t proceed … I don’t hold that against anyone”

Anthony says that it is very fortunate that council put in a backup plan in the original motion that would see the festival committee running the entire festival as usual but at a reduced budget.

Anthony also said that regardless of certain time constraints compounded by the resignation of Festival Manager Darlene Cormier, the committee has preliminary planning underway, and that he has every confidence that the committee will pull it altogether in good time.

“Now they have their 100 percent full mandate and they know what they’ll be doing. As I said, I’ve seen that chair (Derek Shogren) at work, so I’m confident they’ll get things done as quickly as need be done.”