News Release – Ontario Supporting Two Festivals and Events in Windsor and Tecumseh

NEWS July 29, 2022

[Windsor] – Ontario is investing more than $48 million to help festival and event organizers carry out innovative and safe experiences that help create great Ontario staycation experiences for visitors and stimulate local economic growth. Funding from the Reconnect Ontario program will support events in Windsor and Tecumseh and enable recipient organizations to expand programming to draw visitors who will stay longer in local accommodations, eat in restaurants, shop at local retailers and support main street businesses.

“For nearly two years, the pandemic has disproportionately impacted tourism and culture – two major industries that bring our communities to life, and Ontarians together,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “By supporting festivals and events through the Reconnect Ontario program, our government is delivering a much-needed boost to the sector as we continue to recover from the effects of COVID-19. We are supporting organizations across the province that are finding new, innovative ways to safely reconnect Ontarians – helping them to engage with their communities and creating local jobs.”

Andrew Dowie, MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh, announced today that the following local events are receiving funding support:

• $94,551 for the City of Windsor 2022 Can-Am Police-Fire Games
• $42,117 for the Town of Tecumseh Canada Day and 100th Anniversary Weekend Celebration

“Our government recognizes the important contributions that festivals and events make to local communities,” said Andrew Dowie, MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh. “I couldn’t be happier in delivering support to our municipalities for their safe, innovative experiences that helped to reconnect people while boosting our local economy and creating local jobs. The Town of Tecumseh’s 100th Anniversary Weekend and Canada Day celebrations held from July 1st-4th, and the City of Windsor’s 2022 Can-Am Police-Fire Games ongoing between July 25th to 31st, reflect the calibre of outstanding experiences that our region has to offer.”

“We are extremely grateful to the Province for this impactful funding support for the 2022 Can-Am Police Fire Games in the City of Windsor,” said City of Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. “These Games are drawing visitors, benefitting our tourism and hospitality sectors, our businesses and our economy. They are inspiring us to push ourselves to accomplish great things. The Games are particularly meaningful because they involve our Police, Fire, Corrections, Border and EMS personnel, giving Windsor-Essex and Ontario an opportunity to thank our heroes for the tremendous commitment and dedication they bring to their work and our communities before, during and post pandemic. Windsor has become known as an exceptional location for major events, and for delivering world-class experiences. We could not do it without the support of our partners at the Province including Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Andrew Dowie, MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh, and Premier Doug Ford. Thank you for your partnership and friendship, and for continually investing in the City of Windsor.”

“I want to extend my sincere thanks to the Province of Ontario for this funding in support of the Town’s recent 100th anniversary and Canada Day celebrations,” said Town of Tecumseh Mayor McNamara. “Celebrating our successes, our past, and our future has never been more important in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the significant impact it has had on our ability to come together as a community. The Town’s 100th anniversary weekend showcased our residents, our businesses, and our deep and resonant history. It was the type of event that cannot be achieved by a single person or organization; it takes a village to build a community – in this case, the Town, our residents, our businesses, our Indigenous community partners, and the Province. On behalf of the Town of Tecumseh, I thank our partners at the Province for continuing to invest in this kind of community celebration – through these partnerships, we are creating a lifetime of memories for our residents.”

Reconnect Ontario is a provincial grant program that supports festivals and events that encourage local tourism and motivate visitors to rediscover Ontario, while reconnecting people with local experiences and increasing tourism spending. The program is receiving $42.9 million in 2022 to support 547 festivals and events around the province.

Ontario is also providing $5.2 million to events through the Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster Program and to Luminato. The Reconnect Ontario – Marquee Event Fund (formally the Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster program) supports municipalities and organizations in Ontario that host large-scale, high-impact signature events.

QUICK FACTS

• Tourism is a key economic driver in Ontario, supporting approximately 395,000 jobs and generating over $38 billion in spending.

• This investment is a continuation of the historic one-time COVID recovery funding announced in 2021 that more than doubled the annual funding usually provided to festivals and events.

• In 2021, due to overwhelming demand, the government provided a historic $49 million through the Reconnect Festival and Event Program (now Reconnect Ontario) and the Reconnect Ontario – Marquee Event Fund (fomally Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster).

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MEDIA CONTACTS
Paul Synnott
Executive Assistant Andrew Dowie, MPP
Windsor-Tecumseh
Ph: 519-251-0437 Cell: 226-724-6978
Email: paul.synnott@pc.ola.org

Jan Wilson
General Manager
2022 Can-Am Police Fire Games in Windsor
C: 226-347-5258
E: jwilson@citywindsor.ca
W: www.windsor2022.ca

Mackenzie Vandenberg
Communications Officer
Ph: 226-350-3665
Email: mvandenberg@tecumseh.ca

Reconnect Ontario Program – July 2022
Background Information

Grant Purpose
The Reconnect Ontario program was designed in 2021 to help festival and event organizers adapt to new public health measures with virtual, drive-in/drive-through and other safe offerings.

The program supports festivals and events with a tourism economic impact to motivate visitors to rediscover Ontario, reconnect people with local experiences and generate increased tourism spending.

The program aims to support innovative events in Ontario that will:
• offer safe experiences and activations that encourage people to travel locally, participate and rediscover the beauty and diversity of all that Ontario communities have to offer

• draw tourists and local visitors, whether in-person or virtually, through innovative programming, and generate positive economic impact for the local community, the region and the province

• provide job opportunities for Ontarians, particularly in the tourism, culture and entertainment sectors

• increase Ontario’s profile through media and/or social media exposure to generate interest in future travel to the province.

Eligible events must:
• Take place between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023.
• Occur in the province of Ontario. Broadcast or virtual events must be produced
in Ontario.
• Be open to the public at large without membership in a club or group.
• Follow all municipal and provincial guidelines (including health and safety).