Federal sponsorships in Quebec: The New Page

I haven't been posting much in the past few weeks because I've been too busy enjoying the various festivals that Montreal has to offer in the summer months (that, and I've been prepping courses like a madman). One wouldn't think that this would lead to a politically oriented post, and yet it does.

Both of the two big festivals that I attended in the past month - Just for Laughs and DiversCité - have recently had their sponsorships from the federal government slashed. Just for Laughs was recently told that its grant would be reduced from $900,000 to $630,000. In June, Heritage Canada cancelled its $60,000 grant toDiversCité (Montreal Pride).

Is this unconnected to the federal sponsorship scandal? Is this happening elsewhere in the country? It just seems very curious to me that two of Montreal's highest profile festivals would have their funding cut at this point.

In case you're curious, Just for Laughs seems to still be going full-throttle, with ever-increasing attendance. DiversCité, on the other hand, moved its traditional Sunday afternoon parade to the Monday evening prior to the main weekend. Attendance was way down, and the crowds on the weekend were significantly diminished. Whether or not this is linked to budget cuts is unclear, as organizers claimed that it was a move designed to re-invigorate the festival, but it smacks of something more to me.

The new federal approach to sponsorship: Slash and burn.

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