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| The team from Yukon lit up the skies in Vancouver last night |
Last night was the first of three kicking off the Honda Celebration of Light fireworks festival at English Bay, where tens of thousands flocked to see team Yukon showing off their pyrotechnic skills.
However, there are concerns that this year may be the last one for the fireworks competition because government and corporate funding has dropped significantly.
Federal funding fell from $450,000 in 2023 to $250,000 last year and nothing next year, while provincial support has dropped from $250,000 to $100,000 next year.
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| There may not be enough funding for next year |
The annual event draws more than 1.5 million visitors and generates $40 million in economic activity for British Columbia, mostly through tourism and hospitality spending.
It costs about $3million to put on the event, and since 2010 a special ticketed area for VIPS to have a prime viewing spot with food and drink brings in about $1 million.
Organisers believe corporates are in a shaky position with the economic situation at the moment and can't commit financially at the moment, while another reason could be a lot of resources -- around $740 million -- have already been promised for next year's FIFA World Cup in Vancouver.
But it's not just the Celebration of Light that's hurting. Other events like the Vancouver International Jazz Festival has seen reduced sponsorship, while this year's Pride Parade is just barely going ahead later this year, with corporate funding slashed from $900,000 to $500,000 and provincial support from $115,000 to just $45,000.
How are festivals supposed to do more with less? There's only so much they can do, particularly when a lot of the budget is spent on security and traffic control. It's a sad situation when Vancouverites and visitors look forward to participating in these events that are big ones in the city's calendar...
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