The City of Whitehorse is being offered $140,000 to amp up its Canada Day celebrations next year.
The one-time grant comes from the federal Department of Canadian Heritage to mark Canada’s 150th birthday.
If city council approves a budget amendment next week, the new cash will be used expand the city’s usual Family First Night in 2017. The total budget for events next year is $176,000, recreation manager Linda Rapp told council Monday. Any money not coming from the federal government will be raised through sponsors, she said.
That’s a sizable budget bump compared to this year’s Canada Day festivities. Those cost about $8,000, according to the city.
Specific details of what Canada Day 2017 might look like haven’t been released yet. A city spokesperson said the event is still in the planning stages, until the money is officially approved.
“The city applied for a grant to expand the Family First Night at the Canada Games Centre to a signature event at Shipyards Park featuring local and Canadian talent and public activities,” according to a report from city administration.