STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.
By Emily Keller
community

Grant funding recommendations made for Bear Creek Folk Fest and BuckWild PBR events

Apr 1, 2020 | 5:30 AM

A city committee has voted to recommend the Bear Creek Folk Festival and Grande Prairie BuckWild PBR event get tourism grant funding.

At the committee meeting, the recommendation was made to give Bear Creek $75,000 and $25,000 to the Grande Prairie BuckWild PBR event.

Mayor Bill Given says the City has reached out to the event organizers for contingency plans regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, which may lead to the cancellations for both these events this year.

“Council, wanting to be responsible, had asked administration to follow up with the organizers on how we might put those controls in place. I think there was also a willingness from Council to consider allowing the organizations to have the funds so that they could put them towards hosting an event either this year if that is possible or potentially carry over the funds to 2021.”

Originally, administration recommended $50,000 to go to both, but a motion was made to change that so the Bear Creek Folk Fest will receive more.

“I think there’s a pretty strong recognition that over the number of years that it has been in existence that it has really become a feature event,” said Given. “They were able to provide some great data about the number of people that travel from long distances and come visit the folk festival.”

He says that even though there may be cancellations or postponements and that the COVID-19 pandemic has had financial impacts, these events are still important to the community.

“We recognize that our community is going to continue through this current situation, and we will continue services like snow removal, like arts and culture, like recreation, if we want to have a good, strong local economy. So, what I would say is that this is an investment in that future, (and) that we all know our community continues to have a positive outlook.”

These recommendations will need to go before City Council at a regular meeting to be approved.

by Emily Keller