Additional Supports for Agricultural and Horticultural Societies

July 30, 2021

Funding to offset lost revenue from cancelled fairs and exhibits

NIPISSING – Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing welcomed the government’s action to provide $10,500 to five local Agricultural and Horticultural societies in Nipissing. This funding will enable agricultural and horticultural societies to offset membership losses and revenue so they can continue to meet their immediate financial needs and work towards planning future events within health and safety guidelines.

“We recognize agricultural and horticultural societies play an important role in Nipissing and the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to have a negative impact on their local initiatives,” said Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing. “Our government is acting now to safeguard future local projects and events.”

Local recipients include:

$3,377.37 for the Powassan Agricultural Society
$3,000.00 Trout Creek Agricultural Society
$2,124.58 Bonfield Agricultural Society
$1,000.00 Callander Horticultural Society
$1,000.00 North Bay Horticultural Society

The pandemic continues to place financial pressures on agricultural and horticultural societies across the province, as many will be unable to hold their primary revenue-generating fairs and events again this year. This funding is part of the provinces $1.1 million of additional funding to offer continued support for the province’s agricultural and horticultural societies impacted by COVID-19. This funding follows the January 2021 investment of $5 million to help support agricultural and horticultural societies impacted by cancelled events in 2020.

The previous grant program required agricultural and horticultural societies to operate their fairs, events and activities in order to qualify for funding. Now, this automatic one-time payment replaces the 2021 grant so that agriculture and horticultural societies can receive the grant without having to hold their traditional fair or complete their community projects.

Supporting our rich agri-food industry – a $47 billion industry in Ontario – is an important element in Ontario’s economic recovery. Funding agricultural and horticultural societies at this critical time is one piece of a puzzle to sustaining and growing the agri-food industry as the province recovers from the impacts of COVID-19.

QUICK FACTS

The Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies is a provincial association representing more than 200 agricultural societies across the province.
The Ontario Horticultural Association is a volunteer charitable organization that encourages interest in gardening and related environmental issues representing 280 horticultural societies from across the province.
Ontario is working to address the economic impacts that COVID-19 has posed to many of the organizations that make up the fabric of our communities, and is now delivering an estimated $13.5 billion in total support for people and job creators as part of Ontario’s Action Plan.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Guidelines for the Agricultural and Horticultural Grant Initiative

COVID-19 in Ontario

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