The Craven Country Jamboree has received $1.5 million for flood cleanup and protection from the Saskatchewan government. There are, of course, people who object to this number, saying that any funds should be distributed to one of the other communities, or that the festival is somehow undeserving of funds because it's an annual one shot event, rather than a continuous resident.
On the other side of the fence, those supporting the funding recognize that the festival brings in millions in tourism dollars over its run - enough to pay back what it used through taxes - and it is a pretty big draw to the area. This is the side I agree with, as it is a major part of the summer season in the valley and it's large enough to effectively pay for itself. The organizers note that they haven't asked for government funds before, and the need to repair the grounds is unique to this year.
Of course, there is always someone who objects whenever money is spent on something they see as superfluous. Unfortunately, those events tend to be the ones that are major tourist draws, and promise to be enjoyable to many people who plan to make a trip out to attend them. In the past few years, one can observe many cases of the fun police trying to limit government involvement.
The Vancouver Olympics attracted protests, and right now so is the upcoming Royal visit. Look into any festival or cultural event that receives funding from either the federal or provincial level. You will see someone objecting to that funding, arguing that it would be better spent in other areas. Some of these events are higher profile than others, and the bigger the event is the more people are proud to decorate themselves in the livery of the fun police, cracking down on those who might enjoy themselves with taxpayer dollars. Sure, there are many other areas where dollars can be spent. Sticking with Craven, they're far from the only business that is affected by the flood, and they are certainly not the only people who need help to protect their assets from the excess of water in the province. Of course, that said, other projects and communities will be getting dollars to help protect or rebuild their properties, and the $1.5 million spent on Craven will be a small percentage of the money spent overall in trying to help people who have lost in the floods in the south of the province.
There are also ways that Craven organizers can help their neighbors as they run the festival. Remembering that this is a festival that attracts a huge number of people, they can encourage attendees to bring extra money and clothes or blankets for those who have lost everything. Sure, I don't know if they will, but when the fun police come knocking this isn't something they consider. In their narrow focus on keeping funding away from frivolity, they forget that events like this attract lots of people in one area. Plenty of ways this can be used to help.
Unfortunately, I don't think those objecting to the funding received by this, or any other festival actually care about where the money goes. They just don't like supporting potentially enjoyable events. Some people in the world just hate the idea of people having fun, but in their narrow-minded focus they forget the good fun can do.
