Whitehorse Daily Star

City can do little to help Winterval: mayor

Santa Claus is still coming to town.

By Stephanie Waddell on October 20, 2017

Santa Claus is still coming to town.

It’s unclear, however, whether the annual Winterval festival – which includes the parade to welcome Father Christmas – will happen this year.

Dean Tower of Unlikely Events Yukon, which hosts the festival, said Thursday the board is hoping funding to the tune of about $6,000 will come through over the next two weeks. Failing that, the parade may have to be cancelled.

The decision was made at the group’s board meeting on Tuesday. That happened after it was learned the cash it requested – and has received annually for the past few years – through the territorial government’s Arts Fund will not be coming through for the festival in December.

As Tower pointed out, territorial officials have indicated for the past couple of years that funding could come to an end at some point, as the festival doesn’t completely fit with the mandate for the arts fund.

Tower said the territory has been good at finding a way for the festival to receive funding in the past, but the activities are really more of a Whitehorse event than a territory-wide initiative.

Thus, he argued, the city should be putting more funding toward it, perhaps even making it a line item in its annual budget.

While the city has and is providing special event grant funding, Tower said at $1,000 in cash and a further $1,795 worth of in-kind services, it’s not enough for the event.

He went on to point out that Whitehorse is a capital city and, thus as other jurisdictions do, should have a Santa Claus parade.

“It sets off the season,” he said. “I think it’s a really important thing. It needs to happen.”

Along with the parade along Main Street down to the Christmas tree at Front Street, which is then officially lit for the season, there are numerous events throughout the day for the festival.

In the past, there have been trolley rides, art workshops, campfires, hot chocolate and marshmallow treats and, of course, visits and pictures with Santa.

Provides employment

All of that, Tower pointed out, takes resources. Staging the fun provides employment to anywhere between 25 and 40 people for jobs that range from an artistic director to producer.

Also involved are artists who host workshops to an advertising and fundraising staffer to youth hired for the day to serve hot chocolate and the like.

The funding through the city and territory together has typically seen about $6,000-plus provided to the group.

However, Tower said, the group is able to take that and raise more to reach the $10,000 to $12,000 it costs for the festival in total, along with the in-kind help provided throughout he city and numerous volunteers who help out.

Questioned about the possibility of scaling back the event, Tower said Unlikely Events would do “whatever we’re able to do” with any funding it receives.

However, it’s uncertain how much that would be with such limited cash.

Tower pointed out the event has become a tradition for many families.

Even at -45 C, 300 to 400 have turned up for the parade, with an estimated 1,500 there when the weather is warmer.

Last year, he pointed out, 500 youngsters visited with Santa and had their pictures taken at some point during the festival.

“It’s a Whitehorse event,” he said, again stressing the group’s view that the city should put more funding into it.

He noted an official with the group met with Mayor Dan Curtis recently about the importance of the festival.

Curtis told the Star Thursday that while there was a meeting, there has been no formal request to increase the funding from the city.

He noted this is the first he’s heard about the possibility of cancellation and that the group is hoping for further funding from the city.

Process far in advance

The process for such funding requests happens long in advance, the mayor noted, and there would be “no way at all” to amend that for the 2017 festival.

In fact, next week, council is set to vote on the special event grants for 2018 (see story, p. 11).

Unlikely Events is proposed to receive $1,500 in cash and $1,680 in-kind for that year’s Winterval festival. It had applied for $1,850 in cash along with indicating it would like in-kind support for the 2018 festival.

That’s in addition to proposed funding for the group’s Burning Away The Winter Blues festivities in March and its summer street festival.

Curtis called Winterval an important event, one he took his own kids to. But it remains one of many hosted by community groups in the city, he added.

The city works to provide such events with the funding it has available, spreading the available money to many worthy organizations.

He noted that funding and in-kind support for the festival has been “very consistent” over the years.

It’s unfortunate, Curtis said, that the group is facing financial difficulties. With a process already in place to consider funding far in advance, though, there’s little the city can do for the 2017 event, the mayor said.

While Santa may not have a Winterval festival to attend this year, he does typically make a number of appearances through the festive season at local businesses and events for those wanting to visit and be photographed with him.

Comments (7)

Up 0 Down 0

THE MAYOR did nor want Santa to come to town... on Oct 26, 2017 at 6:32 pm

because he got a fairy tail dream, come true, of spending, over $50 million on something that is not needed or as the way to solve City operational situation, but spend as much money as possible on his fairy tail. So Santa, you are not wanted in Whitehorse because our mayor does not support you.
Wilf Carter

Up 19 Down 10

Anie on Oct 23, 2017 at 4:35 pm

Wilf it is incorrect to say that the old buildings are fine. Have you been in them?
Have you read the report about those building? Have you spoken to any mechanics who work in that dark undersized garage? Do you know that the old cassiar building was constructed when the city was less than half the size it is now, with about 30% if the equipment and that equipment from those days did not require the same space as today’s? Perhaps the mechanics should just do the maintenance out in a snowbank. Perhaps you should get off your high horse and show some consideration for the working stiffs who work in those old barns. Guess if a mechanic is a city employee then they don’t deserve your respect

Up 36 Down 1

Garrioch's Reliable Source on Oct 23, 2017 at 10:11 am

Has this current City Government ever turned down a self-serving request for money ?
Little wonder that we're about to be hit with a range of higher and new taxes.

any fiscally responsible candidate that runs in the next election should win by a landslide

Up 31 Down 16

Wilf on Oct 23, 2017 at 7:19 am

Dear unlikely events: Bill and council have already squandered all available cash and gone into long term debt to build the Palace on the Mount so there's none left for you. One other small city that I lived in had something called , The Downtown Business Assn. who chipped in and paid for things like this and items such as all the flowers that hang around in summer. We already pay for everything with our taxes and squandering council. The old buildings were fine. Go to Europe and see 500 year old buildings still being used, not 50 yr old buildings being replaced for vanity.

Up 40 Down 6

BnR on Oct 22, 2017 at 8:35 pm

If it's a "Whitehorse event..." why have I never even heard of it? As in I've never heard of it in the past 50 years.
Employment to 25-40 people? Wut?
“It sets off the season,” he said. “I think it’s a really important thing. It needs to happen.” Man, just go for a ski at Sima, or fire up the sled and go for a rip eh?
Or a snowshoe. Look where we live, a Winterval festival is the last thing we need. Even the Sourdough Rendezvous is felling a bit dated.

Up 59 Down 6

ralpH on Oct 20, 2017 at 11:44 pm

Another example of excessive spending and a sense of entitlement. We cannot sustain spending in this way. If You want everything big cities have then live there! If You want this event work for it! You live in the north, that comes with some realizations that You can't have everything southerners have. Period

Up 58 Down 6

jc on Oct 20, 2017 at 9:39 pm

Winterval? When the HE double hockey sticks did that start? First I heard of it and I've lived here for years.

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