The Town of Hawkesbury is planning to use up to $100,000 from the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) for the annual Multicultural Festival and Canada Day celebrations, and to install new playground equipment in a municipal park.
On April 14, town council adopted a resolution to apply for $50,000 from the UCPR’s Regional Community Investment Fund (RCIF) for expenses associated with the 2025 Hawkesbury Multicultural Festival and Canada Day festivities. Council also approved using $50,000 it has in reserve from RCIF money received in 2023 for new playground equipment at Old Mill Park.
The Hawkesbury Multicultural Festival was first held in 2022 and takes place downtown at Place des pionniers and nearby stages on Main Street. The first three editions of the festival were made possible thanks to a federal Communauté Francophone Accueillante (CFA) grant of $70,000 for the first edition, and Caisse Desjardins, which has contributed $15,000 annually for the past three years. The town’s agreement with the CFA ends this year with an unconfirmed amount of $5,000. The town hopes to continue the agreement with Desjardins in the following years.
The municipal administration has prepared a sponsorship plan to increase revenue and support the festival. An amount of $35,000 in revenue is identified in the budget. However, a staff report indicates approaching potential entrepreneurs this year is “delicate” due to the current economic uncertainty. However, the report notes the renewed sense of patriotism among Canadians in recent months has led the town to believe enhancing the Canada Day festivities with a UCPR RCIF grant makes sense at this time. RCIF financial support will also allow the Multicultural Festival to continue as a free event.
Hawkesbury council has already approved an expenditure of $119,000 for this year’s Multicultural Festival, which is being reduced from three to two days. The expenditure was expected to be offset by $35,000 in sponsorships. However, the Department of Recreation and Tourism estimates that the costs of the festival will be around $154,000 in 2025 despite the reduction to two days. This means that the sponsorship needs will exceed the budgeted amount of $35,000. The department is hoping to use RCIF funding to supplement the expenses of the festival.
Town staff are still awaiting a response from the federal government regarding a grant from the Celebrate Canada program for Canada Day celebrations. The federal election campaign has delayed the process. The budgeted amount of $12,000 for Canada Day is therefore currently on hold. A budget of $20,000 is currently allocated for Canada Day, including $17,000 for fireworks. The town would like to enhance the budget for Canada Day with the RCIF grant.
The cost is already estimated to be $104,000 for new playground equipment at Old Mill Park. The RCIF grant would provide up to $50,000 for the project.
