ABOVE: Beaches Jazz Festival organizer launches petition to save funding. Carey Marsden reports. <\/p>\n
This post has been updated to properly identify the individual behind the petition as a festival organizer. <\/p>\n
TORONTO A Beaches Jazz Festival organizer has launched an online petitionto urge Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne to restore funding to the free summer event after its request for a $120,000 grant was rejected. <\/p>\n
The festival, which attracted an estimated 500,000 people last year, received $75,000 from the Celebrate Ontario program in each of the last six years. <\/p>\n
Organizers were told on March 13 that they would no longer receive the funding this time around. <\/p>\n
This year, the festival is in danger of being drastically reduced in size and scope, reads the petition, posted at change.org by Joanna Katchutas, the festivals Multi-Arts and Photography program coordinator. <\/p>\n
Critics argued the move seemed odd as the governing Liberals awarded a $300,000 grant to multimillionaire rap star Drake to stage his two-day OVO Fest in Toronto this summer. <\/p>\n
BELOW: The Beaches Jazz Festival has been denied a provincial grant it has received in the past. Carey Marsden reports on March 20.<\/p>\n
Tourism Minister Michael Chan defended the decision on Monday, saying Celebrate Ontario is a competitive program, which attracted 441 applications last year, and supports many events across the province. <\/p>\n
Unfortunately this year, the jazz festival, the proposal they submitted they were not able to make it, he said. <\/p>\n
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Beaches Jazz Festival supporter launches petition to save funding<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ABOVE: Beaches Jazz Festival organizer launches petition to save funding. Carey Marsden reports. This post has been updated to properly identify the individual behind the petition as a festival organizer. Continue reading