The city has decided to fund a last-minute application for grant funding from the Potato House Project to host a street party event on July 1, 2023.
The city will give $5,000 towards the Potato House Project Society hosting the event, which will also happen to fall on the same day as Canada Day celebrations the city is hosting in Kiwanis Park. Both events will have bouncy castles, music, vendors and some live music. Both will take place right after the Stampede Parade.
Discussion around the decision at the special meeting on May 23 at noon included concerns over the overlapping of the two events, which occurs once every seven years, when Canada Day happens to fall on a Saturday.
While the downtown street party for Stampede had recently been cancelled by organizers, citing other commitments and the city added to their plans for Canada Day in the park, now the city is hoping the Potato House Project will work with city staff organizing Canada Day in order to make a successful event.
The city did have over $17,000 in funds still available in the grant-in-aid budget, and while the application was incomplete, without financial statements and some of the required information, Coun. Scott Nelson made the motion to fund $5,000 towards the application, just over half of the requested $9,000.
Both Coun. Joan Flaspohler and Coun. Angie Delainey voted against the motion for the funds, expressing a desire to focus the city’s funds on the already organized Canada Day celebrations in the park.
Coun. Sheila Boehm said the public expects the event and the Potato House has stepped up to offer to do the work.
Coun. Boehm, Coun. Nelson and Mayor Surinderpal Rathor all voted in favour of awarding the funds. Coun. Jazmyn Lyons was not at the meeting and had acknowledged she was involved in the street party event organization proposal so did not take part in the discussions. Coun. Michael Moses was not at the meeting.
There was discussion around needing to take a look at the process for grant-in-aid funding if the policy is being waived.
Mayor Rathor said he was concerned continuing to fund organizations who don’t supply the required documents and follow process. Coun. Delainey suggested the policy may need to be looked at or updated if it is not working, but following process needs to happen.
Grant-in-aid applications are taken in the fall and council has to agree to wave the policy to award funds outside of this time frame.
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