Through the first deadline of the 2020 Special Event Major Program, three eligible applications were submitted to be considered for funding. In addition to Regina Canada Day Committee (RCDC), the program received applications from Circle Project Association Inc. for National Indigenous Peoples Day (NIPD) and Regina Multicultural Council for Mosaic: A Festival of Cultures.
Due to the global pandemic of COVID-19, non-profit organizations delivering programs and events for the citizens of our city are being forced to make difficult decisions to postpone, adapt or cancel their plans. To date, both Circle Project Association Inc. and Regina Multicultural Council have cancelled their events for 2020.
Given our current situation and the Federal Government’s priority of keeping Canadians safe, the Minister of Canadian Heritage recently announced that national Canada Day celebrations will be held virtually for 2020.
As RCDC operates in a capital city, they have been approached by Celebrate Canada to participate in the federal virtual celebrations. At time of writing, RCDC is in discussions with Celebrate Canada on how they can contribute to the national celebration. Any RCDC activity will need to comply with both Celebrate Canada’s requirements and Saskatchewan’s public health orders.
Financial Implications
The 2020 allocation for Other Executive Grants is $205,000. Of the $205,000 total budget, $122,700 is allocated to fund the Special Event Major program. As this is the first Special Event Major deadline of 2020, the full allocation is available.
Canadian Heritage has provided $25,000 to the RCDC to participate in a national level virtual celebration. The RCDC is unsure of the total costs to deliver on the local piece of the larger virtual celebration as discussions with Celebrate Canada about the nature and details of their participation are ongoing. In order to support Regina content and participation in the national celebration, ensure the sustainability of RCDC and to ensure they are able to pay for all of the costs associated with the virtual celebration, Administration recommends providing up to $25,000 for any incurred eligible costs beyond the first $25,000 covered by Canadian Heritage.
If the recommendation is approved and the RCDC requires the full $25,000 in City of Regina funding, the Special Event Major program budget will have $97,700 remaining.
Environmental Implications
There are no environmental implications with the recommendations of this report.
Policy and/or Strategic Implications
The mission of the City’s Community Investment Grants Program (CIGP) is to fund community non-profit organizations to deliver programs, projects, and services that align with the City’s priorities, to have a clear community impact and to respond to community needs.
The typical Regina Canada Day event aligns with the goals of the Cultural Plan, including Embracing Cultural Diversity, Strengthening the Artistic and Cultural Community and Commemorating and Celebrating the City’s Cultural Heritage. With the restrictions in public gatherings and other uncertainties related to COVID-19, Cultural Plan objectives including the activation of public space and support for local artists are more difficult to meet or must be reframed. Through participation in a virtual event, RCDC will ensure some exposure for Saskatchewan artists and local culture.
Accessibility Implications
It is expected that the National Canada Day celebration will be available to everyone with internet access.
Other Implications
There are no other implications as a result of this report.
Executive Committee of Council can decide not to approve any incurred eligible expenses for this event.
Grant recipients are required to recognize the City of Regina as a funding provider. The local organization will work with the National Canada Day Committee and Citizen Experience to determine opportunities to recognize funders through the virtual celebration. Event information will be shared on City of Regina communication channels where appropriate.
The RCDC’s application was reviewed by the adjudication committee when originally submitted. At that time a recommendation was made to provide $25,000 in funding for the local Canada Day celebration (see Appendix A). Since that time, we have been faced with a global pandemic and organizations are being required to make difficult decisions regarding services that they provide to the community. The RCDC has cancelled the local Canada Day celebration and instead agreed to participate in the Federal Canada Day virtual celebration. As details related to the celebration are still being determined and information related to the pandemic is still changing almost daily, Administration is unable to provide exact details related to the virtual celebration at this time.
While details aren’t clear, RCDC feels they have the capacity to contribute to the national celebration. Canadian Heritage has granted funds of $25,000 to RCDC to assist with costs.
At time of writing a revised budget is not available. Administration recommends funding of up to $25,000 for any incurred eligible costs beyond the first $25,000 covered by Canadian Heritage.
Administration believes this approach is appropriate, as the event will be much smaller in scale and local impact, with fewer local artists and businesses benefitting from participation.
The disposition of this report is within the authority of the Executive Committee.
Respectfully Submitted, Respectfully Submitted,
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Prepared by: {ResUserUser1:First Last, Title}
Travis Holt, Coordinator, Community Investments