The City of Castlegar will seek community groups to team up with on annual events like Canada Day celebrations.
Council discussed last week which events it will continue to take the lead on and which ones it will look for other groups to help with.
Councillor Dan Rye singled out Canada Day as one event whose popularity has declined and that could use an injection of new energy and ideas.
“It’s been expensive to put on over the years,” he says. “I think it got kind of dry. People weren’t coming down there any more. We were having trouble getting food vendors to come because there were so many other events going on in other communities.”
Rye says it’s hard to compete with other communities that go all-out for Canada Day like Nelson and Salmo. Consequently, “we weren’t really putting on a first class event.”
The budget for this year’s celebration is $6,200, which is larger than in previous years.
Council has tentatively agreed to continue its involvement in Winterfest and the Merry and Bright holiday decoration contest. It will also sponsor other events hosted by community groups.
Other red letter days where council might sponsor events include Family Day, Easter, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Thanksgiving, and Halloween. The city also provides funding to some independently organized events, including Spring Fling and Sunfest.