SnowKing funding not fair - city councillor
Wong says jamboree and winter festival should get equal sized grants
Candace Thomson
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, March 5, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Yellowknife city councillor is taking exception to the lower level of funding offered to the SnowKing Winter Festival, which, at $5,000, is half of what newcomer Long John Jamboree is expected to receive.
Long John Jamboree president and city councillor Adrian Bell kicks off the festival on its opening day last year. The jamboree received $10,000 in funding while the SnowKing's Winter Festival only received $5,000, which city councillor Dan Wong said isn't fair. - NNSL file photo |
City council discussed the proposed special grant amounts to community groups on Monday, including $10,000 to the Long John Jamboree, which has two city councillors on its board of directors, including its president Adrian Bell.
The jamboree didn't get the full amount it requested - $15,000 - nor did SnowKing - $10,000 - but Coun. Dan Wong says SnowKing should be offered the same amount considering its international prestige and its month-long presence as a snow castle on Yellowknife Bay. The Long John Jamboree, which for the last two years has been set up next to SnowKing, runs for only the last weekend of March.
"I see the SnowKing and the (Jamboree) as equal value for the community in terms of community spirit ... and a venue for local artists," Wong said.
"I'd just like to try to understand why we're giving one half of what we've given the other."
Coun. Bob Brooks, who chairs the city's grant review committee, said the jamboree is a larger undertaking than the SnowKing festival, which is why it was granted more funding.
"If you look at the complete application package, you'll see what it takes to put on those two is vastly different," said Brooks.
Wong tried to convince council that funding for the two events should be the same but didn't get any support from other councillors.
"SnowKing maybe doesn't have the numbers for any single one day as (the jamboree) does, but I think it's important to look at it as a month-long festival," Wong said.
"They're equal in impact for the community and community pride but the SnowKing is able to showcase over a longer period of time. It's spread over 30 days instead of two or three."
Bell and fellow jamboree board member Cory Vanthuyne left the room during the discussion after announcing a conflict of interest. Bell declined to discuss the issue afterward.
Wong said he didn't think any favouritism is at play due to the two councillors' involvement with the jamboree.
"I don't think that was part of it," said Wong.
"I know the committee does its job with integrity and they're fair and evaluate each project on its merit, but I still do disagree that (the jamboree) would get double amount of funding that SnowKing would get.
"They're both amazing and I think they both should get equal support."
SnowKing Anthony Foliot declined to comment on his festival's funding.
The grant review committee is proposing to give out special grants totalling $77,100 to 27 community organizations, including NWT Pride, the Old Town Community Association and L'Association franco-culturelle de Yellowknife.
It's a slight increase from the $76,000 the committee handed out last year, but it is still a significant cut from the $105,000 it had in 2012. The depleted fund is the bigger issue, Wong said.
"This year it's one of its lowest ever with a smaller pot to distribute and each community group is getting squeezed a little tighter," he said.
