The Stars and Thunder Festival’s break-even point is somewhere in the near distance with the latest grant from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC).

The city is receiving $369,570 as part of money they applied for to cover costs associated with “permanent infrastructure repairs including electrical work, grandstands modernization and soil remediation.”

“This funding will offset some of the costs that we will see in the park over the coming year, as well as some permanent infrastructure that will improve our ability to host events and activities year round,” Mayor Steve Black says in a release.

“We are very happy the Board of NOHFC and Minister Mauro and Minister Gravelle have seen the value of investing in Hollinger Park and the economic benefits of the Stars and Thunder Festival for the region.”

“As we continue Ontario 150 celebrations, our government is building up the North by funding this unique event in Timmins,” added Minister of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle, “This NOHFC investment into Holliger Park and the Stars and Thunder Festival is helping to bolster Northern Ontario’s tourism industry and provide new economic opportunities for people in the North.”

Previously, the city received around $105,000 for festival-related activities. Black says it shows the level of support the upper levels of government have for the festival.

Director of Community and Development Services Mark Jensen adds the grant is good news.

“It will allow the City to move forward with some strategic improvements that will no doubt enhance the popularity of this regional park facility,” he said.

Black continued by expressing his thanks towards council for supporting an April resolution to revise their application, which focused on the infrastructure needs in the park.

“We believe the ticket numbers we were able to show NOHFC in April indicated the large number of people from outside Timmins who would be attending Stars and Thunder, including tourists from coast to coast in Canada and several States in the USA,” he said.

“This gave us a solid foundation to market this application and showcase the importance of Hollinger Park as an economic development driver in tourism.”

Filed under: Local News, stars and thunder