With the costs of staging Canada Day events expected to rise, the City of Victoria is considering bringing control of the annual celebration back in-house.
Council voted unanimously Thursday to have city staff work out the implications around having the city take the lead on the 2024 Canada Day event.
Mayor Marianne Alto, who proposed the motion, said if the city wants to see the event grow, it’s the right time to look at it.
“It’s important for us to do this now, to provide staff with enough time to be thoughtful in their analysis and recommendations in a way which, whatever we decide, gives adequate time for it to be prepared for next year,” Alto said. “It is a big event, and if we are considering making it even slightly bigger, we need lots of time to do that.”
The city is no stranger to running Canada Day celebrations. Between 2006 and 2021, it worked with production companies to plan, fund and execute the event. Money has come from the city, federal government and business sponsorships.
Before 2006, the event was run for 30 years by the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria.
After the 2021 event, council moved to return the event to a community-led format. It also provided an additional $50,000 in funding through its Festival Investment Grant Program.
Alto said because council has made it clear it wants to promote public events that are interesting and accessible, it’s the right time to consider having the city take the lead again.
In supporting the idea, Coun. Matt Dell said the city has a responsibility as the capital to put time, money and effort into events like Canada Day.
“It aligns with our downtown revitalization program to get people back downtown whenever possible,” he said.
Coun. Chris Coleman said he would like the city to start planning its Canada Day events well ahead — up to three years in advance — “so we really actually can upgrade it and make some investments and draw some other support that I think would be very useful.
“We should be trying to invest and grow. And I think that a review is the best place to start, but let’s change the planning horizon for it as well.”
Staff are expected to report back later this year on the implications.
This year, Canada Day returned to the legislature lawns after the 2022 edition was held at Ship Point and the 2021 event was not held after the discovery of suspected unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
This year’s event was organized by the non-profit Penmar Community Arts Society and produced by the Blue Coast Event Group.
After the event lost its main sponsor, Mayfair Shopping Centre owners Central Walk Holdings Ltd., not long before July 1, EF International Language Campuses stepped in to take over.
The City of Victoria contributed $125,000 through a festival investment grant of $50,000, $25,000 toward the fireworks and a Canadian Heritage Grant of $50,000.
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