TD Niagara Jazz Festival says $65,000 grant will help them rebuild and recover

The TD Niagara Jazz Festival has received a $65,600 grant from the Ontario government.

The money from the Ontario Trillium Foundation has allowed the Festival, now in its 10th anniversary season, to rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

The Festival has been able to hire new staff, purchase equipment, develop a strategic plan and a fundraising plan, as well as recruit and train volunteers to support the Festival activities. 

The festival suffered an enormous loss earlier this year after its co-founder, Peter Shea passed away.

Shea along with his wife and musical partner, Juliet Dunn, founded the Festival in Niagara back in 2014.

“Congratulations to the Niagara Jazz Festival for receiving the Resilient Communities Fund. During COVID-19, our streets went quiet, our festivals silenced, and our musicians unable to perform,” said Jennie Stevens, MPP for St. Catharines. 

 “We are thrilled and honoured to have received a full year of funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation through their Resilient Communities program,” said Juliet Dunn, Executive Artistic Producer of the Festival. 

“With this funding, we have been able to take the festival to the next level by hiring a General Manager for a period of 6 months and it is making the world of difference. This came at a perfect time as we enter our 10th season. The funding has also assisted us with important day-to-day operations, video production, marketing and promotional costs, capital costs and travel costs. We are truly grateful for the continued support from the OTF and are excited to be launching our 10th season with them. We would not be able to do what we do without their extremely generous support.”