Help Restore Funding to OJF!
On May 31, the Ottawa Jazz Festival received notice from the Ford Government that a Celebrate Ontario grant in the amount of $290,000 would not be available any longer. This grant had been awarded to the Ottawa Jazz Festival annually for the last 12 years. The timing of this announcement has had dire consequences.
Many of OJF’s loyal audience members have asked for guidance in how to respond to this disturbing announcement just three weeks before the festival’s opening. Here is a letter you can send to express your concern and outrage if you choose to respond proactively to this government’s action. We hope you will.
We have included a draft letter in full below.
To:
lisa.macleodco@pc.ola.org
minister.mtcs@ontario.ca
Subject: Ottawa Jazz Festival Funding Cut
Body: Dear Minister MacLeod and Premier Ford,
As Ontario taxpayers, we are stunned by your decision to not fund our flagship music event, the Ottawa Jazz Festival, through the Celebrate Ontario program of tourism support. The timing of your decision, a mere three weeks before the opening of the festival, has caused chaos and unbelievable hardship for the festival and those of us who live and work in this region.
We love the jazz festival and we want it to succeed. Therefore we ask that you immediately reverse your decision and restore funding to the festival through the Celebrate program.
Sincereley,
Ottawa Jazz Festival Patron