Government of Canada provides $370,661.00 in small business support in Cambridge and Southwestern Ontario, to help boost tourism sector
February 23, 2022
FedDev Ontario supports Drayton Entertainment as part of Canada’s Tourism Relief Fund to help small tourism business and organizations recover and thrive
The Government of Canada is committed to supporting tourism in southern Ontario by ensuring local businesses, and the organizations that support them, have the tools they need to position themselves for a strong and resilient economic future.
Today, on behalf of the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), Bryan May, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, announced that Drayton Entertainment received $370,661.00 under the Tourism Relief Fund.
This support will allow Drayton Entertainment to support facility upgrades and additional live theatre productions in the shoulder seasons, which will allow Drayton to undertake the activities necessary to deliver an audience rebuilding strategy; providing live theatrical programming in the spring and autumn shoulder seasons at many locations.
Today’s investment reinforces the Government of Canada’s commitment to helping tourism businesses and communities safely welcome back visitors, create jobs, recover from the impacts of the pandemic and prepare for future growth.
Quotes
“Our government recognizes that tourism is vitally important to the vibrancy and economic health of communities across southern Ontario. I am committed to helping businesses find new and innovative ways to recover and thrive once again. Investments through the Tourism Relief Fund help ensure that the region’s tourism sector will be well-positioned to welcome back visitors today and in the years to come.”
The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
“The Canadian tourism sector continues to be one of the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We will work with businesses and organizations through these challenging times, ensuring they get support to innovate in their products and services as well as to grow and thrive, all while keeping safety as the top priority. The Tourism Relief Fund helps businesses adapt to welcome back guests safely. It also feeds into a broader strategy to help the sector recover from the pandemic and build an economy that works for everyone. The Canadian economy will not fully recover until our tourism sector recovers.”
The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance
“Drayton Entertainment is an invaluable asset to our community. When it is enabled to grow and prosper, the benefits of its presence in our community are undeniable. Drayton’s commitment to artistic excellence and innovation has helped to create a vibrant, creative arts community that is a source of pride, purpose, and identity for our region.
These past few years have been very difficult for the small businesses and organizations of our community, and investments like this provide them the tools they need to not only recover but grow as we support the safe return of patrons.”
Bryan May, Member of Parliament for Cambridge
“I am proud that Kitchener-Conestoga hosts two of Drayton Entertainment’s locations, entertaining residents and attracting tourists from outside our region. This funding of approx. $50,000 helps to expand live programming for the St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre, and support renovations to the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse.
Art transcends cultural boundaries, and it enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. I thank everyone at Drayton Entertainment for their passion, and for enhancing our community with arts and culture.”
Tim Louis, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Conestoga
“On behalf of everyone at Drayton Entertainment – our artists, technicians, volunteers, stakeholders, Board and staff, we are grateful for the investment made by FedDev Ontario to support programming expansion and accessibility initiatives that help with the tourism recovery and rebuilding effort in multiple communities throughout the province.”
Alex Mustakas, Artistic Director & CEO of Drayton Entertainment
Quick Facts
- The tourism industry accounts for $39.4 billion of Ontario’s gross domestic product (GDP) and supports more than 820,000 jobs.
- The Government of Canada’s $500-million Tourism Relief Fund is helping tourism-oriented businesses and organizations recover from the pandemic and prepare for future growth, with a minimum of $50 million of the Fund allocated to supporting Indigenous-led projects or Indigenous- focused projects. FedDev Ontario is delivering nearly $120 million of the Tourism Relief
Fund across southern Ontario. - Drayton Entertainment is a Canadian not-for-profit, charitable organization that has been producing live theatre for over two decades. Founded in 1991 by artistic director Alex Mustakas, the organization produces a multitude of performances annually throughout Southwestern Ontario, has become one of the largest live theatre companies in Canada.
- This project will undertake the activities necessary to deliver an audience rebuilding strategy, providing live theatrical programming in the spring and autumn shoulder seasons at three locations. It will support facility upgrades and additional live theatre productions in the shoulder seasons, which includes, but are not limited to, production personnel and creative fees.
- There are two components:
- Facility Upgrades to better service new and future Audiences
- Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend
St. Jacobs Country Playhouse
- Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend
- Expanding Live Theatre Programming into shoulder Tourism Seasons
- St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre
- King’s Wharf Theatre, Penetanguishene
- This work was spread across 5 theatres, in 4 Federal Ridings.
- Approximately $40,000 of this grant was allocated to the Cambridge (Hamilton) theatre, to help towards some of the costs associated with adding a new universal and accessible washroom for theatregoers attending live theatre productions.
- Facility Upgrades to better service new and future Audiences
Associated Links:
Drayton Entertainment
FedDev Ontario
Tourism Relief Fund (TRF)
Contacts
Office of Bryan May | Member of Parliament for Cambridge
534 Hespeler Road, Suite A4
Cambridge, Ontario N1R 6J7
bryan.may@parl.gc.ca
Tel. (519) 624-7440
Fax: (519) 624-3517
Office of Tim Louis | Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Conestoga
Unit 624 - 1187 Fischer-Hallman Road
Kitchener, Ontario N2E 4H9
Tim.Louis@parl.gc.ca
Tel. (519) 578-3777
Fax: (519) 578-0138
Steven Karcher
Executive Director
Drayton Entertainment
Tel. 519-621-5511 ext.234
Edward Hutchinson Press Secretary
Office of the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
edward.hutchinson@feddevontario.gc.ca
About FedDev Ontario
For 13 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, job creation and growth in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving their productivity, growing their revenues, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.