Group’s bid for event funding called ‘outrageous’

Downtown Penticton Association wants city to pay for Canada Day festivities and other events that cost $141,000 last year

A former events co-ordinator for Penticton’s downtown doesn’t believe city taxpayers should pony up funds for special events.

“It’s outrageous,” Laurel Burnham said in an interview with The Okanagan Weekend. “They make tons of money, especially during the market season. Have you checked out the prices lately for a booth or a food truck?”

In a presentation by Downtown Penticton Association president Ryan Graham to city council this week, the events in question — Canada Day celebrations and fireworks, B.C. Day celebrations, seven nights of music through the Rock the Sun program and the Santa Claus Parade — cost the DPA $141,000 last year, a bill it’s now hoping to pass on to the city.

Last year, the city provided the DPA with $20,400 worth of cash and in-kind donations toward the events.

Burnham worked for several years as a contractor.

She organized the community market plus special events, most notably Canada Day.

Burnham said funds raised from the market were always intended to be earmarked for special events in the downtown.

She said Canada Day cost about $10,000 to stage, but without fireworks. For many

years, the Penticton Lakeside Resort organized and presented the fireworks display. More recently, the resort solicited donations from the community before handing it over to the DPA for good.

“Canada Day, for me, was more about giving Anna McIvor’s western group a chance to raise money to buy new skirts than a pyrotechnics show that’s really expensive . . . and dogs hate it,” Burnham said.

“I feel the DPA should be doing more to attract people downtown and not expecting

the city to pay for everything. The city has contributed enough already.”

Burnham, due to health issues, is now fully retired. After leaving the DPA, she was recruited to run markets in both Naramata and Summerland, among other activities.

The DPA, which is funded by mandatory contributions from 325 downtown property owners based on frontage, also pulled in about $30,000 in grants and revenue from the events in question, leaving the net cost at $111,000.