B.C. shortchanged under federal Marquee Tourism Events Program

British Columbia has 13 percent of Canada's population, but only received 6.2 percent of grants in 2009  under the federal Marquee Tourism Events Program.

In the 2009 budget, the  Conservative government announced $100 million over two years for annual events that attract a significant number of tourists. To qualify, the recipient's event must last for three days or longer.

The Georgia Straight analyzed grants listed on the program's Web site, and concluded that B.C. received $2.9 million of the $47 million doled out last year.

There were four only B.C. groups  among the 57 organizations  that received funding.

They were the Pacific National Exhibition ($1.38 million), the Vancouver International Jazz Festival ($712,500), the Vancouver International Film Festival ($467,250), and the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair ($345,900).

The Montreal Jazz Festival, the Just for Laughs festival, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and the Toronto International Film Festival each received $3 million, which exceeded the entire amount granted to B.C. organizations. The Canadian National Exhibition received $3.75 million under the program.

The city of Calgary, which elected Prime Minister Stephen Harper and several other Conservative MPs, fared quite well. The Calgary Stampede received $1.92 million; the Calgary Folk Festival obtained $291,375; and the Calgary Festival Fireworks Society collected $240,356.

In addition, the Marquee Tourism Events Program allocated nearly $450,000 in funding  to help put on the 2009 Grey Cup in Calgary. There was  $302,164  for the Calgary Stampeders football team and another $146,250 went to the Edmonton Eskimos football team and to  the Canadian Football League.

The deadline is January 8 to file applications for this year's grants. To find out more about the program, go here.

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