Supercrawl funding passes; same as 2012

Supercrawl 2013, scheduled for early September in downtown Hamilton has received funding of $60,000 from council, matching last year’s funding, but down from the $125,000 that councilors shot down a month ago.

Previously opposed to the funding of the event, councilor Pearson stated that she would vote in support of the 60k request provided it was “the absolute last time” a funding request is made in this way.

“Will all do respect I can’t support this.” said Ward 11 councilor Brenda Johnson. “This is really just against the process, this is not against the event. I have been to it; it is amazing, it’s the process. I know that if I vote for this today I will have at least two of my event coordinators come to me and saying, ‘what gives?’”

Johnson pointed out that the majority of event coordinators go through an extensive process to apply for funding and are always given the same two-percent increase, while Supercrawl organizers have gone through their councilor.

“It seems now that we have three levels of funding,” said Johnson. “Now I understand there is a third process, go to your councilor and ask for the money, ‘tada’. If I had known that I can go back to my events now and tell them to go through me and we’ll just go ‘tada’.

Brought before council by Ward 2 councilor Jason Farr, the motion states that Supercrawl attracts 80,000 people, 20,000 of whom are not from Hamilton while contributing $6-million to the economy. Farr described the event as a “Hugely significant downtown, and city of Hamilton, and provincial event that gets nation wide coverage.”

We need to recognize success stories, and not only recognize them, but put them in perspective.

“It has created a draw, and god bless all these other festivals, I don’t remember picking up a newspaper in Vancouver and reading about the other festivals other than Supercrawl; it has caught on nationally.”

“I understand the process issue, but I think we need to offer some discretion,” said Ward 8 councilor Terry Whitehead. “When I look at this particular program and what it has to offer and the value it brings to this community, and to the downtown, the heart of the city, I cant help but support what is before us here today, in fact I would support more.”

More information about Supercrawl can be found online at www.supercrawl.ca

Hamilton resident and Sonic Unyon Records owner Tim Pitocic, who won the 2012 Hamilton, ‘Distinguished Citizen of the Year’, is the event’s main organizer.