Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli hand-delivered a letter to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Michael Coteau this morning demanding to know why North Bay failed again to get any grant money from Celebrate Ontario.
"I’m dismayed that I am once again writing to ask you to clarify the reasons why, for the second consecutive year, the Celebrate Ontario funding application submitted by the City of North Bay’s Summer in the Park Committee was denied," Fedeli writes.
"As you know, some $15 million was announced for 200 events across the province through the Celebrate Ontario program yesterday. In 2014, Summer in the Park received $63,750 in funding, and event organizers and constituents alike are once again questioning why that funding wasn’t renewed this year. They further question just how equitable the program is when eight events in Sudbury received funding this year.
"As we discussed last year, Summer in the Park is one of the largest annual events in our riding, and provides a significant economic boost to the City of North Bay and the entire region. I appreciate your attention to this, and look forward to your response."
Councillor Jeff Serran is the city's representative on the Summer in the Park committee, and he says he's disappointed and surprised because they followed all the rules.
"I would like to have a talk with somebody and say 'Listen what is it about our application that didn't work for you guys?' because as far as I was concerned we followed up from last year when the funding didn't happen. We made sure we asked what was going to make a stronger application for 2016, so we followed their guidelines and we got shut out again."
See the Application Guide
Summer in the Park Chair John Strang said he is "extremely disappointed".
North Bay Mayor Al McDonald says he doesn't like the news, but wouldn't elaborate further.
See related story: What's up? North Bay shut out again!
