RICHMOND – New Democrat MLAs Kelly Greene, Henry Yao, and Aman Singh are announcing recipients of provincial funding to help make sure local fairs, festivals and other events continue throughout 2023 and 2024.
“Each year, Richmond hosts a wide range of events, festivals and fairs, from the Steveston Dragon Boat Festival to the Salmon Festival,” said Kelly Greene, MLA for Richmond-Steveston. “This funding will help ensure these events continue to provide joy, entertainment and connection for people in Richmond.”
In Richmond, 22 events are receiving over $500,000 in funding, including $142,000 for Javed Akhtar’s live show, and $82,300 for the 2024 Canada Cup International Wheelchair Rugy Tournament.
“Cultural events like the Yue Opera Classics performances celebrate the diversity of Richmond,” said Henry Yao, MLA for Richmond South-Centre. “I look forward to another great year of events that bring people to our community from near and far.”
This investment into local events is part of the $30 million in one-time grants the province pledged for Fairs, Festivals, and Events to continue the recovery of a vibrant and strong tourism industry and support our innovative arts industry in B.C.
“By sharing festivals and celebrations, we can learn about each other’s cultures and traditions, and get a deeper understanding of our shared history as British Columbians,” says Aman Singh, MLA for Richmond-Queensborough. “I encourage everyone to attend a local fair, festival or cultural event as we move towards a more inclusive B.C.”
This builds upon the success of the BC Fairs, Festivals and Events Program funding in 2021, which provided one-time grants for events to safely return after facing the Covid-19 pandemic. These grants for 2023 will support a range of events in locations all over B.C., and associated event costs.
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“The Steveston Salmon Festival Committee is very grateful for the funding support. This funding will help us to bring back many favourite events, such as the Parade and the Salmon Bake. We look forward to hosting a fun and safe festival within the Richmond community,” says Alan Sakai, Community Leader.
Learn More:
A backgrounder with event locations and funding information follows: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/tourism-immigration/tourism-resources/tourism-funding-programs/fairs-festivals-events-fund