By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

More funding available for downtown Nanaimo events in 2018

Dec 8, 2017 | 12:43 PM

NANAIMO — After a bustling year in downtown Nanaimo, more money is available for any organizations hoping to fill downtown with laughter and fun.

The amount of money the City of Nanaimo can hand out for downtown events was raised by roughly a quarter to $150,000 after a City Council decision last week.

Bruce Anderson, manager of community and cultural planning, told NanaimoNewsNOW he asked to raise the amount because they received applications totalling roughly $214,000.

“It was quite heartening to see so many events come forward and the majority of them were able to be quite successful,” he said.

The City took over funding downtown events after they cancelled a $250,000 grant to the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association.

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Anderson said there was a mix of established and newer events vying for the money last year, from the annual Bathtub Day celebration to the International Jazz Festival.

“Some of those probably, in hindsight, could have used a little bit more funding for them to really pull things off. In part, that’s why we recommended and council agreed to an increase in the amount of funding available for the program.”

Applications for 2018 are currently being accepted and must be submitted no later than Jan. 29.

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