NANAIMO – New Democrat MLA Sheila Malcolmson says new support from the BC New Democrat government will help local fairs, festivals and community events resume in Nanaimo.

“Connecting over food, music, arts, and fitness is so good for our community,” said Sheila Malcolmson, MLA for Nanaimo. “By supporting event organizers with these grants, we are working to ensure a strong pandemic recovery for everyone, and so we can continue to gather safely at our local, long-standing events.”

11 fairs, festivals, and events in the Nanaimo area will benefit from almost $430,000 in recovery funding, including 2022 Nanaimo Fringe Festival, the Vancouver Island Exhibition, and the Westwood Lake Triathlon.

These fairs, festivals, and events are among the 680 events across the province supported by the BC New Democrat government’s investment. The government is providing nearly $30 million in one-time grants to eligible event organizers to support their efforts to resume safely. Grant amounts for each event are up to 20% of the total event budget, up to a maximum of $250,000.

Successful recipients demonstrated the economic and social benefits of their event, as well as strong local or regional support. Examples of eligible expenses include operational costs, health and safety measures, venue rental, marketing, wages and promotion.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the New Democrat government has worked closely with B.C.’s tourism sector and provided $225 million in support to ensure businesses and non-profits can continue to draw visitors and benefit local communities for years to come.

Learn More:

B.C. fairs, festivals and events benefit from recovery funding 

To see the list of recipients for the Fairs, Festivals, and Events Recovery Fund, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BCFFE_Funded_Events.pdf